Camelot Inc
by KilgharrahPendragon
Summary: It's Merlin in modern day. Camelot is a million dollar corporation, Uther Pendragon is the tyrant of a corporate world. Arther is a CEO, working his way up to take over the business and Merlin is hired as his new assistant. As Merlin guides Arthur into becoming a better leader, Mordred and Morgana seek to take the business out from under them. Slash Merlin/Arthur
1. Chapter 1

So I've never written a Merlin fanfiction before. I've only ever written a LOTR one and never published it. This is the first time I'm publishing anything on here, so please be kind! Criticism is welcome though! A bit of a heads up: There's graphic sex scenes later one. Secondly, I have a hard time writing in a linear order, so a lot of the time, I've written just scenes and have had to go back and tie them together. Sorry if I skip too far into the future at times.

Chapter One

"Arthur, finally!" Uther Pendragon said, his voice tight with annoyance as his son walked through his office doors, ten minutes late.

"Sorry Father, but I had to pick up this stupid dry cleaning and they mucked it up," Arthur started to explain, holding up a suit covered with a plastic bag, the white spots of damage clearly visible. "If I had an assistant none of this would have been a problem." He reminded his father. He had been in need of an assistant ever since he last one had suddenly realized her dream of becoming a writer and quit to write full time.

"About that, HR has interviewed candidates and narrowed it down to one who looks promising. He'll be at your office at 10 for a final interview with you," Uther said as he gestured for his son to sit down, "now onto business. There is the matter of the Shaw estate that needs to be dealt with; I can trust you to take care of everything?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded, mentally trying to keep track of all the things he needed to do.

"And there's the meeting with the contractor at noon to discuss the demolish. Oh and accounting called, they wanted to see some receipts for a dinner you went to."

"Is that everything?"He asked, eyebrow rising slightly. He felt like it was impossible to keep track of everything he already needed to know, let alone what his father continuously added on.

"Yes, yes, you can go now." His father dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Arthur stood up, relieved to be out of his father's presence and to finally get on with his day. He walked out of his office and headed to the elevator to go down to the eighth floor where his own office was. He took a glance at his watched as he waited and sucked a breath in through his teeth. It was already 9:30 and he hadn't even made it to his office. No doubt, there would be dozens of messages in his mailbox, a stack of mail on his desk and memos spitting across the room from the fax. _God I really need an assistant!_ He thought to himself as he stepped into the elevator. His cell phone vibrated angrily in his pocket and he pulled it out just as the elevator stopped at his floor.

"Good morning Mr. Pendragon!" Erin, the front desk receptionist for his department greeted him. He barely acknowledged her greeting with a nod as he brushed passed his employees, bumping shoulders with them as he gazed through his emails on his phone, ignoring the many glares he was given and the few employees that he brushed passed to fast that he knocked everything out of their hands.

The next half hour went by so fast that Arthur hadn't even realized it was 10 when Erin knocked on his door.

"Sir, there's a Merlin Emrys to see you," she said gently and Arthur nodded distractedly.

"Send him in." Arthur gathered up his mail, the memos, tablet, and the dozens of other papers he was just too busy at the moment to look at.

"Hello," came a quiet voice from across the desk. Without looking up, Arthur held up the stack of papers.

"I don't have time to ask you ridiculous questions about your greatest and weakest abilities, so consider this a trial run." Arthur spoke quickly, gathering up everything he could think of that he wanted to get rid of. He had made a list somewhere, if he could just find it... there! He snatched up the list and finally looked up at the boy in front of him. The boy, Merlin, was looking at him with a mixture of shock, horror and excitement, stark black hair dishevelled and sticking out everywhere, black square framed glasses sat crookedly on his nose as he shifted his arms. He reached out his hand, taking the slip of paper from Arthur and sticking it between his teeth before he nearly fell over trying to catch a stray receipt from falling out of the pile. He was dressed in a blue dress shirt that was just slightly too big and a tad wrinkled where it tucked into his black dress pants that hung loosely over his hips. Arthur noticed that he had a small backpack strapped to his back where a helmet dangled which explained the wrinkles if he was riding a bike. "I need all of that sorted, emails responded to, appointments made and synced to my phone," he stood up, grabbing Merlin's elbow and directing him out of the office to a small desk just outside where a computer and phone sat on his glass surface. "This is your desk, keep it organized and hold the rest of my calls for the morning!" He ordered and stalked back into the office, slamming his door behind him.

Merlin stood rooted in place, papers and tablet precariously balanced in his arms staring after the crazed blonde. What was he thinking?! How was he supposed to know what to do with everything? He opened his mouth to call out to him but the list was stuck to his lips and he spat it out with annoyance.

"Don't worry dear; he's like that with everyone." The receptionist said gently as Merlin sat his burden down on the desk.

"Thanks," he mumbled and pulled his bag off. He drew in a deep breath and rubbed his hands together, well this was it, his moment to prove himself. If he wanted this job, he had to figure things out fast and there was no time to waste. He knew it would be crazy to work as a personal assistant to the CEO of one of the country's largest corporate businesses, he knew that whoever he worked for would most likely turn out to be a jerk, but whatever hopes he had had of the perfect interview quickly vanished. He sent a quick text to Will, his best friend and roommate, letting him know he wouldn't make lunch and that he was going to be working the full day and would be home tonight. After he hit send, he sat down and turned on the computer. While he waited, he went through the stack of papers. The first slip appeared to be a list of tasks that needed to be completed including: make a reservation at The Garden for 8 pm Thursday September 8, pick up suit from Louis', call Sandra and cancel lunch this afternoon, meeting at noon with contractor, get receipts to accounting, and the list of demands went on. Taking a deep breath, Merlin looked at the now loaded computer and groaned-employee log in required. He decided instead of logging on immediately, he would continue to sort through the papers. He found the dozen receipts that were mentioned on the To Do list and stapled them together with a stapler he found in the desk drawer and set them aside. He pulled out his sticky notes and pen from his bag and wrote "Accounting?" in big letters across it and stuck it to the receipts. Next he moved onto a thick stack of papers that were held together with a large black clip. He looked through them and recognized them as a contract for a recent accusation for a small family owned store that dealt with custom designed clothing. He read through it easily, his degree from Oxford was in business law and he had done exceeding well and much to his benefit, he was gifted with a photographic memory. There was a small sticky note on the back page that had "fax to legal" scribbled across it in nearly unintelligible writing. Merlin clucked his tongue and re-wrote the note, stuck it to the top of the papers and set them beside the receipts. He continued going through the papers, tisking as he found things that needed to be sent out yesterday and organizing them into neat piles, keeping them all sectioned to the appropriate departments. As he read he got a better understanding of exactly what it was that Arthur dealt with. All the papers were related to smaller businesses that were either for sale, going out of business or in need of some business advice. Arthur's department handled all small accounts meaning business with less than 300 employees and that earned less than 1 million in profits. They seemed to buy and sell several businesses a month, flipping them like houses and selling them for three times the value they purchased them at. Arthur was responsible for investigating these businesses, overseeing what needed to be done and managing the transfer of titles. He was also responsible for creating new business plans, restructuring the management, and creating marketing plans for each business. Twenty minutes later, he had a neat little stack on his desk with his own To-Do list on top. First things first; find out where to get his employee log in information.

"Excuse me, Erin?" Merlin said, adjusting his glasses and smiling a goofy grin at the woman.

"Yes dear?"

"So... where do I get my log in information and all that stuff?" He asked, biting his lip nervously and she laughed gently.

"Third floor, to the left sweetie, ask for Gaius, he'll get you everything you need." She said sweetly and Merlin grinned.

"Thanks beautiful!" He shouted as he ran to the elevator, clutching his stack of papers to his chest, barely catching the elevator before the doors closed. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for the elevator to get to the third floor. He wanted to get everything sent out to the correct departments by 11 so that he had time to get situated before the meeting at noon. He wasn't sure if he would be required to sit in on the meeting or not, but he figured he should be ready just in case. The elevator chimed as it reached the desired floor and Merlin jumped out, nearly tripping over his own feet. To the left was a door with a gold plate reading Human Resources on it and he pushed it open, walking into another office where cubicles sat in rows behind a front desk.

"Please hold," the receptionist said and held up a finger to Merlin when he approached, she pressed several buttons on the phone and then lifted the mouth piece of the headset. "What can I do for you?" She asked busily.

"I need to speak with Gaius... I was told he'd set me up with an employee number and everything?" Merlin explained although she had stopped listening at the mention of Gaius and was already dialing numbers in the phone.

"Gaius, a new hire for you." She paused, "yes, I'm sure. He says he was told to come see you." She frowned and looked up at him, "who sent you?"

"Uh, Erin... the girl on the sixth floor... I'm Arthur Pendragon's new assistant."

"Yes, he says he's Arthur's new assistant... ok... I'll let him know." She disconnected the call and folded her hands in front of her. "Gaius wasn't expecting you but says to come in anyway. His office is just across the hall to the right of the elevators." She pointed to the door he had just come through.

"Thanks," he smiled and went back through the hall, knocking on the dark door.

"Come in!"

Merlin pushed open the door and smiled at the older gentleman who was standing by a small table, pouring tea from a kettle.

"Would you like any tea?" He asked, glancing briefly at Merlin who shook his head.

"No thanks. I'm here because I need my employee log in for the computer." He explained and Gaius waved his hand.

"Yes, I know why you're here Merlin. I take it Arthur is making you do a trail run for the day?"

"Yes he is. Does he do that a lot?" He asked, sitting down in the chair Gaius gestured for him to sit in.

"Almost always to his new employees. He isn't one for one to one interviews; he prefers to see what someone has to offer in action."

"You sound like you know him quite well," Merlin observed.

"Oh I should say so! I've known him since he was still wetting himself and giggling at his own farts!" Gaius chuckled and Merlin looked at him thoroughly confused. "I've been a friend of Uther Pendragon for nearly 25 years and have known Arthur his whole life," he explained with a smile on his face.

"Oh," Merlin nodded, that made a lot more sense. He was suddenly having horrifying images of his new boss standing around in a diaper giggling as he pooped himself. Well, he was a bit of a prat come to think of it Merlin thought.

"I was the one who thought you would be a good fit for the job," Gaius went on, "I recognized your name at once. I think I knew your mother in college..." he trailed off, lost in old memories.

"Well, I appreciate the recommendation. I really need this job, I mean, between rent in London and my student loans; I'm going to end up on the street soon!" He joked and Gaius smiled gently.

"How is your mother?" Gaius asked, "I haven't spoken to her since she fell ill."

"Ah," Merlin nodded, four years ago, his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, "better now. She's in remission they say, so knock on wood."

"I hope she stays in good health," Gaius said gently and Merlin smiled.

"Thanks, still have a lot of medical bills to pay though," he said, wanting to get back on track. He had a feeling that Gaius was that kind of person he could lose hours talking to if he let him.

"Yes well, let us get you situated with a temporary username and password."

"That'd be great thanks!" Merlin sighed with relief.

Twenty minutes later, Merlin was walking out of Gaius' office not only with his temporary employee information but Gaius had uploaded all the new contact information to what he had discovered, was his new employee tablet, provided him with a map of the building and also a list of all Arthur's favorite restaurants, shops, foods, and numbers for all said places. He was eternally grateful for Gaius' help and knew he needed to repay him somehow, perhaps when he had enough money he'd get him a muffin basket, he seemed like someone who would enjoy that. Stepping into the elevator, Merlin hit the button for the fifth floor to take him up to accounting. While he waited, he called The Garden and booked the reservation, adding it into Arthur's calendar expertly just as he stepped out onto the fifth floor. He looked around, slightly lost for a moment and then headed over to the closest desk where a man was typing away at his computer.

"Excuse me, I'm here to drop off some receipts from Arthur Pendragon, they were requested from an, um," he looked at his notes again, "an Errol." He smiled down at the gentleman who snatched them from his hand.

"Hey Errol! The Lordship finally sent down the receipts you requested two weeks ago!" He shouted and another man looked up from his desk with a scowl.

"About bloody time!" He growled and got up, taking the receipts from the first man. "I can't believe I had to call Uther just to get these receipts! Arthur's a spoiled rich boy who has no business being in the business world." Merlin observed them for a little bit, taking notice of their strong dislike for "the Lordship" before he turned around and headed back up to the eighth floor. It was nearing close to eleven by the time he finally located the fax machine where he promptly sent off the five faxes that needed to be sent. Hands finally clear of all the paper work, he sighed happily and stood in front of his desk, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. All that was left was to pick up the suit from Louis by three but he figured he could get that when he ran out for lunch. He sat down and pulled up the accounts that he had sent contracts to legal for and spent the next half hour going through them and familiarizing himself with the projects. Sighing, he decided that there was nothing left to be done immediately; he knocked on Arthur's door.

"What?!" Arthur shouted from inside and Merlin timidly stepped inside.

"I just wanted to come speak with you Sir."

"What is it _Mer_lin? Can't find your way to the fax machine?" He smirked and Merlin glared at him.

"No I found it just fine. I just wanted to inform you that I've dealt with all those papers you gave me earlier and I wanted to come in and see if you needed anything." He replied rather sharply.

"You're done with everything? You read through three contracts in what," Arthur looked down at the clock, "in an hour? Don't fuck with me _Mer_lin; I have no patience for people who don't do a proper job!" He spat and Merlin felt his checks flush with anger.

"Excuse me _sire_!" He spat, temper rising quickly, "but I happen to be very capable of doing more than a proper job! I read through all the contracts and sent them to legal with the notes you provided."

"Bull shit! Those contracts where a hundred pages each, no one can read that much that fast."

"Oh yea? Why don't you ask me something then, hmm?" Merlin challenged and Arthur stood up, his chest puffing out in annoyance and authority.

"Fine! When was the deed of 392 Beverly St transferred to Charles Pearce?"

"December 12, 1998." Merlin answered without hesitation.

"Lucky guess," Arthur glared and thought for a moment, "the current profits of The Little Custom Shoe?"

"Trick question, The Little Custom Shoe has not produced a profit in over six months with a current debt of twelve thousand, three hundred and ninety nine dollars and eighty two cents. Camelot Inc first approached the owner, Guinevere Smith six months after her father, Tom Smith died during a mugging in June 2012. You spent two months trying to convince her to sell over the business to you with no success. Her business was still pulling a profit and I assume she wanted to see it through. Eight months later you personally approached her again and this time she acquiesced and you began working out the details. The contract I just sent to legal was the final draft of a yearlong battle with her about the property and what would happen to the business once purchased by Camelot." Merlin summarized his voice having slowly risen in volume as he went on and he now found himself slightly panting as he stared at Arthur in slight horror. Had he really just him off like that?

Arthur set down the pen he was holding and placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed Merlin again. This gangly boy who was wearing converse shoes, he noticed for the first time with slight disgust, had taken on a new light.

"Well perhaps you're not as useless as I thought you would turn out to be, _Mer_lin." He said, making sure not to smile or show any indication that he was at all impressed when the truth was, he was very impressed. Not only had this twenty something year old managed to find his way around the offices without once bothering Arthur about how he was supposed to do anything but he had managed to read up on the current projects he was working on.

"Thank you sir," Merlin nodded his head a little and gripped his tablet tightly in the one hand, "it's almost noon now, Clinton will be here shortly, should I get some coffee ready? Or would you like me to call and get a table ready at Michelle's for lunch?" Arthur narrowed his eyes at him, how did he know he preferred to have his lunch meetings at Michelle's?

"No, call down to that sub place and order a tray of sandwiches and make a pot of coffee. We need to go over blueprints and it's easier to do that here than in a restaurant." Arthur explained, sitting back down in his chair.

"Ok, oh do you want me in the meeting with you? To take notes or anything?" Merlin asked and Arthur thought for a moment.

"Yes please, oh and for Christ's sake, have Erin route all my calls to you from now on. I can't take another bloody interrupting phone call." He ordered and Merlin nodded, sneaking out the door.

"Hey Erin," he said again with a giant grin on his face that immediately made her smile right back at him. "Would you be able to wire all of Mr. Pendragon's phone calls to me from now on?"

"Sure thing!" She nodded and reached into her drawer, "you'll need this" she said as he handed him a cordless headset. "They don't use cell phones much in this office for assistants, they route all phone calls first to the desk and if you're away then they route them to your tablet. I don't know if Gaius told you this or not, but you _must always have your tablet with you!_ Always, Merlin, sleep with it, eat with it, it can never leave your side." She urged him and Merlin's eyes widened at her seriousness.

"I will," he assured her and placed the headset on his ear, "thanks for the advice." He smiled and went back to his desk. No sooner had he sat down when the phone began to ring. "Arthur Pendragon's office, how can I assist you?" Merlin said at once, stumbling awkwardly over the words as he wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to say.

"What? Who is this?" The agitated voice asked.

"This is Merlin, Mr. Pendragon's personal assistant and who is this?" He asked, fumbling for his pen and pad of paper to take a message.

"This is Clinton, let Arthur know I'll be a few minutes late would you?"

"Absolutely! I'll let him know right away." Merlin smiled and then realized Clinton couldn't see him and immediately scolded himself for being so stupid.

"Alright," Clinton said and hung up before Merlin could get out a goodbye. Merlin pulled up his tablet and sent a message to Arthur on the inner office chat site: _Clinton just called, said he'll be a few minutes late_. Then he googled the sub shop that Arthur had mentioned, hoping it was the correct one and located their phone number which he promptly stored in his contacts.

"Hi, I need to place an order for delivery if that's possible," Merlin said once the person on the other end had stopped rambling on about the specials.

"Where to?"

"_"

"This for Camelot?" The gentleman asked.

"Yes, it is. Can I get a large tray of assorted sandwiches delivered here in... twenty minutes?" Merlin asked, realizing how tight he was for time.

"Ha! Twenty minutes at this hour? You're kidding right?"

"No... I'm not... I would come down and pick it up myself but I have to be in the meeting and well... half an hour?"

"Look-"

"Please? It's my first day and I really don't want to screw this up and he only just now told me to make the order and I think he already hates me so I really can't mess this up" Merlin begged, slightly praying that the other guy would have mercy and rush the order. He sighed so heavily Merlin felt he had just breathed in his ear.

"Look kid, I'll do what I can. Forty five minutes tops."

"Oh my god, you're amazing! Thank you thank you thank you!" Merlin grinned, wanting to reach through the phone and hug the man.

"Don't go thanking me just yet. You're working for a soulless machine you know that? I should let you get fired just to save you. They'll destroy you before you know what's happened." The man warned and Merlin gulped, he had heard a lot of bad things about P&S and he was all too familiar with the 'soul sucking, destroying' monster that was the corporate world.

"Thanks for the warning, I'll make sure to keep my eye out for the Soul Stealing Machines." Merlin said and then quickly provided the billing information and hung up. There was one more phone call he wanted to make quickly before another call came in.

"Louis Vuitton's, Beth speaking."

"Hi Beth, I'm calling regarding a suit that was supposed to be ready."

"What's the order number?" She asked, sighing with boredom or annoyance, Merlin couldn't tell.

"Uh, I don't have it but it's for Arthur Pendragon, you should have all his-"

"Ohmygod! It's for Mr. _Pendragon?_" She asked, suddenly becoming animated.

"Yea, I guess he ordered it last week?" Merlin chewed his lip nervously; he really had no idea when Arthur had ordered the suit.

"Yea, it's in, ready for pick up." She said and Merlin sighed with relief.

"Ok, what time do you close?" He asked, typing another message to Arthur, _what time do you need your suit picked up at?_

"Uh five duh," and suddenly she was back to the bored snob who realized she was only talking to the assistant and not the gorgeous blonde she had met on several occasions.

"Great, I'll be there between 3 and 4 to pick it up." Merlin said and quickly disconnected the call.

Ten minutes later, Merlin was walking Clinton into Arthur's office and pouring them coffee.

"Blimey!" Arthur spat when he took a sip of coffee, "what the devil is that?" He glared at Merlin who flushed a horrible shade of red.

"Uh, coffee," Merlin stammered, "is it no good?"

"No good? It tastes like rat piss!" Arthur roared.

"Tasted much of that have you?" Merlin asked with an impish grin and Arthur quickly narrowed his eyes.

"Are you being smart?"

"No sir," Merlin quickly shook his head, "wouldn't dream of it." Clinton chuckled quietly to himself at Merlin's sarcastic remark. Annoyed, Arthur tossed the cup of 'swill' into Merlin's hand, making it spill all down the front of his shirt.

"Go clean up and when you come back, bring me a cup of coffee from the staff room." Arthur ordered and Merlin quickly ducked out.

_That asshole! That stupid, arrogant, dollophead!_ Merlin thought angrily as he stormed into the bathroom and ripped off his shirt. He stood over the sink shirtless, trying to scrub out the coffee and when it became clear he couldn't get it out he threw it against the mirror. If he could just give that prick his honest opinion. Merlin had heard about Camelot Inc long before he applied for the job. In fact, he was incredibly reluctant to even apply because he knew of the reputation it had for mistreating its employees but he was too desperate for a job to let it pass him by. It was actually Camelot Inc, Arthur himself, who had bought out the plant in the village Merlin had grown up that resulted in the loss of over 200 employees and ended up turning his town into a ghost town. He hated everything that Uther Pendragon stood for and here he was, working for the devil's son himself.

Merlin stared at himself in the mirror and swore he wouldn't lose himself to this job, that he wouldn't sell his soul just to make a few pounds. He gathered up his shirt and walked out of the bathroom quickly, ignoring the strange looks he was given as he walked through the corridor half naked. He grabbed his backpack and pulled out the t-shirt he had brought with him. He and Will had planned to go out after his interview to either drink in celebration or to soothe his ego and Merlin despised collared shirts so he'd brought a t-shirt along with him. He pulled it on and made his way to the staff lunch room where he poured Arthur a cup of coffee. He had half the mind to spit in it but was concerned he might be seen so instead resorted to just cursing it.

"Finally, hurry up _Mer_lin," Arthur growled with annoyance, snatching the cup of coffee and sitting back down. "Sit down and take notes, don't speak, don't move and please, don't breathe too loudly, I'm getting a headache." He ordered and Merlin sat down obediently, mentally imagining dumping the hot liquid over Arthur's head and beating him senseless.  
>Clinton snickered, having known Arthur for several years now he knew how he seemed to thoroughly enjoy tormenting his staff, especially new staff. It was the jock in him, he knew, he too did the same thing with his crew.<p>

The meeting was painfully boring and went on past an hour. Merlin's stomach rumbled with hunger, he had been too nervous to eat breakfast and was now seriously regretting that decision. He took notes but he wasn't really sure what to take note of. He ended up doodling on the page, drawing sketches of Arthur choking on coffee and looking like an idiot with a little word bubble that said 'Der, I'm a dollophead'. When the meeting finally did end, Arthur dismissed Merlin and Merlin decided it was a good time to go for lunch and pick up the suit.

He grabbed a sandwich from the sandwich tray that had been delivered and headed out of the office. He rode his bike for several blocks before he hit the shopping district where all the big name designer shops were. He located Louis Vuitton and locked his bike up outside. Walking into the store, he immediately felt out of place as everyone in the store stopped to stare at him. He cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly, smoothing out his VNV Nation t-shirt.

"Hello," he said as he came up to the girl behind the counter. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Uh, I think you have the wrong store," she said annoyed and Merlin recognized the snarky voice as Beth.

"Nope, I called earlier about a suit for Arthur Pendragon, here to pick it up." Merlin said and her eyes widened.

"_You're_ the personal assistant to Mr. Pendragon?" She asked, looking him up and down with renewed disgust.

"Yup, at least I am unless you don't give me the suit and then I'm pretty sure I'm going to be fired."

It took some convincing and Merlin had to show his staff ID before Beth would release the suit to him. He waited until he was outside before folding the large black garment bag, afraid that if Beth saw she would scream and take it away. He strapped it to his back and got back on the bike and rode back to the office. As he was taking the elevator back up, he got a text from Will asking about his day.

_It's a nightmare so far, I don't think it could get much worse_.

He had been very, very wrong. When he got back to his office, Arthur was standing at his desk looking at the notepad that Merlin had used during the meeting.

"Oh shit..." he said and Arthur looked up.

"Oh shit indeed, just what exactly is this supposed to be?" Arthur asked, holding up the sketch of Arthur wearing a crown and a ridiculously dumb look on his face with the caption 'Prince of Prats' underneath it.

"Um," Merlin pinched his lips together, "just a little sketch I was working on for a graphic novel," he lied.

"Uh huh and is there a reason your sketch looks suspiciously like me?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Does it?" Merlin asked, voice innocent as he looked at the sketch, "nah, I don't see it." He shook his head, "you're much taller."

"_Mer_lin, you were supposed to be paying attention in the meeting! Not doodling on a piece of paper! This isn't acceptable!"

"I was paying attention, I swear to you," Merlin said quickly, hoping he wouldn't get fired, that would really not be good. "I remember everything, I heard it all, I could repeat it back to you if you'd like."

"No, its fine," Arthur said with a heavy sigh, "just... don't let me catch you doing it again." He disappeared into his office and Merlin stood there feeling like an ass. For a moment, he thought he had caught a glimpse of hurt in Arthur's eyes and he felt his stomach knot with guilt.

_Bugger_ Merlin thought and knocked on Arthur's door. "Sir?"

"What is it Merlin?" Arthur asked, not looking up from his computer.

"I have your suit," he said holding up the garment bag.

"Put it on the couch," he instructed and Merlin laid it over the back of the black leather couch.

"What else can I do for you sir?" Merlin asked, making an effort to be extra considerate.

"Send out these memos, book board room three for Friday at 10 am for the staff meeting and be sure to invite everyone in our department." Arthur ordered and Merlin took the memos from him, ducking out of the office with an almost bow.

The rest of the day went by without anymore major issues and Merlin was surprised Arthur hadn't taken out his revenge for the sketches. At six, Arthur sent him home, telling him to stop in at Gaius' office in the morning to get a permanent employee ID. He was confused but relieved to have gotten the job. Merlin unlocked his bike and peddled down the street, thinking about the next day while he grinned his goofy grin. He survived his first day, he hoped he'd survive the next.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks everyone for the reviews! I'm sorry if this next chapter is a bit rubbish but I'm a bit brain dead :P

Chapter Two

Arthur took his revenge on Merlin with the swiftness of a steel blade for the next several weeks. Merlin had celebrated his new job with Will, although Will was adamantly against working for Camelot Inc as it was 'the devil incarnate' in his opinion. Though Merlin did agree that Camelot was a bit shady, he normally gave everyone the benefit of the doubt but after a week serving as Arthur's personal servant, he felt the title was deserved. Arthur had ordered him around the office like a slave driver, first telling him one thing and then insisting he said differently, sending Merlin to every floor more than once. He even went so far as to put a sign on the elevators stating that they were out of use and then ordered Merlin to take a file down to the first floor and another file to the ninth floor but that he had to do it in that order. He was instructed not to look in the files but if he had, he would have seen that the file he delivered to Morgana Pendragon (Arthur's half-sister) contained nothing but a blank piece of paper. He of course didn't look in the folder, too afraid that he would be fired after the incident with the drawings. However, he did get his revenge back on Arthur when he learned that the elevators were in fact fully operational. He had slipped into Arthur's office and stuck a piece of tape to bottom of Arthur's mouse, rendering the mouse's sensor useless. When Arthur sat back at his computer, he spent several minutes yelling about how his mouse wouldn't work. He asked Merlin but he innocently offered to call IT. It only took the tech a minute to figure out, pointing out that Arthur must have left some tape on his desk and ran the mouse over it. It would have been a sweet little victory if it hadn't meant that Arthur ended up being late in sending in some files which then lead to Merlin staying two hours late that night. He did notice how Arthur seemed to take out his frustrations on Merlin though. Whenever something went wrong, it was either Merlin's fault or cause for punishment.

The breaking point though for Merlin, happened three weeks later when Arthur asked him to shine his shoes and tossed him a bottle of shoe polish.

"I'm not your _servant!_" Merlin said indignant.

"Of course you are Merlin!" Arthur grinned, putting his hands on his hips, "you are my personal assistant which means it's your job to assist me in whatever I need assisting in."

"Humph," Merlin snorted, "I'm not a psychiatrist Arthur; I seriously doubt I can assist you with all of your problems." He mumbled and Arthur pinched his lips tightly together.

"_Mer_lin," he breathed heatedly, "I'm going to choose to ignore that last remark and gently remind you that I am your boss and you should treat me with the respect deserving of that position. Now go shine my shoes! And pick up my dry cleaning as well!"

Merlin grabbed Arthur's shoes, the polish and stomped out of the office, annoyed but oddly amused. Despite the fact that Arthur was a royal pain his ass; it was becoming a lot of fun to constantly tease him. Even though he was his boss and the son of the owner of the entire company, Merlin felt relaxed around him in a way he never felt with anyone else. He did the work that Arthur gave him, though Arthur almost never failed to point out some kind of flaw with it, but it was always with a hint of amusement. There were still moments though when Arthur would reaffirm the theory that he was in fact a giant idiot by talking down to his employees to the point of degradation and Merlin would promptly tell him off for it which then lead to further punishment via humiliating jobs.

Arthur wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Merlin. He was an annoying, persistent, smart mouthed... he couldn't think of exactly how to classify Merlin beyond annoying. He was useful of course, and he had become a source of amusement for Arthur. He never in all is years working at Camelot Inc would have had an employee shine his shoes directly; he would have just had them send them away for it. However, it was just too much fun to watch Merlin sit at his desk through his window, angrily polishing the shoes and when they were brought back to him to claim they were too shiny now. The look of pure frustration was priceless, Merlin had nearly twitched and it was everything Arthur could do to keep himself from bursting out laughing. And the trick with the elevator, he was so glad that Merlin hadn't heard him and Leon laughing in his office.

"Your dry cleaning," Merlin said as he walked into Arthur's office and Arthur looked up, a smile still lingering on his lips.

"Thank you Merlin," he waved and sat up in his chair, "I want you to read this tonight and let me know what you think." He said handing over a large stack of papers bound together.

"What is it?" Merlin asked, glancing down at the book.

"A new business plan," Arthur explained, standing up and smoothing out his suit, "I assume you've familiarized yourself with _Conair_ _Co_ by now?"

"Yes," Merlin nodded.

"Good, well this is the new proposal that I've been working on for the last six months. I want you to read it, proof it I mean, I don't expect you to understand any of it of course, just edit it." He instructed and Merlin nodded.

"Of course, when would you like it by?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," Arthur grabbed his dry cleaning and buttoned up his jacket, it was the end of September and the nights were getting increasingly colder and damper.

"Sure," Merlin sighed, looking down at the stack that was well over a hundred pages and, he noticed with great contempt, double sided.

"Very well," Arthur nodded a smile of satisfaction toying at the corner of his lips, Merlin would be up for several hours and it was already past seven. "Oh, and I want you here by eight tomorrow, I have a meeting at 9 and you need to set up the office for it." He instructed and Merlin blinked.

"Set it up?"

"Yes you idiot, set it up, you know, get pastries and tea and the like. It'll be held in boardroom one, and Merlin make sure everything is fresh, the entire board of directors will be there and I won't have them eating stale pastries and burned coffee in my department." He said his voice authoritative and his chest puffed out just a bit. Merlin tilted his head, thinking he resembled a ruffled pigeon. "_Mer_lin, did you hear me?" Arthur waved his hand in front of Merlin's face and he looked up, giant grin quickly replacing the spaced out look.

"Yes of course, pastries, coffee, your department," he summarized and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Eight o-clock Merlin!" He called over his shoulder as he walked out. Merlin watched him go and then sighed heavily. Will was not going to like this one bit. It was their weekly game night and Merlin had missed two this month and the one last week he had spent the entire time ranting about Arthur until Will had finally grown so tired of it he had stormed off to bed. Now it looked like he would be up all night reading this business plan and it wasn't like he could just simply read through it quickly, he had to actually go through it at a regular speed, making sure to catch any typos. He'd quickly learned just how useless Arthur was when it came to typing and nearly every memo he sent out had a horrible error in it that Merlin would always have to correct.

Merlin took his time biking home that night, even opting to take the long way home as he tried to figure out what to tell Will. It was already going to be difficult enough being two hours later but to have to try and explain that he'd have to sit out on game night to read papers for Arthur was going to be too much. The tension between them had started when Merlin had accepted the job at Camelot and it continued to grow with every cancelled lunch or missed dinner. He wasn't sure how much longer their friendship could tolerate before it exploded and Merlin couldn't honestly say he knew it would survive this. He felt he had no choice in the job as jobs were incredibly hard to come by in this economy and Will knew that. He knew that Merlin disagreed with a lot of Camelot's policies but couldn't understand how he could work for someone he hated so much. The thing was that Merlin didn't hate Arthur, in fact, he was a half decent person (when he wasn't being a jerk), it was really Uther Merlin didn't like and the more time he spent with Arthur, the more he realized that most of what he did was to prove himself to Uther.

Sighing heavily, Merlin locked up his bike and walked up the two flights of stairs to his flat above the bakery.

"Hey," Merlin said as he opened the front door and Will looked up from the couch.

"Make you work late again?" Will asked and Merlin nodded.

"Yea, and got more work to do tonight," he said, deciding to break the news right away.

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope, got two hundred pages to edit by eight am." Merlin threw his bag on the counter and walked to the fridge. Their flat was small, the kitchen and living room were one room divided only by a small bit of counter that created a table/counter. There was only one bedroom and it was Will's since he had a girlfriend and it only seemed reasonable that he would have the need for privacy. Merlin's bed was the ratty old couch that they had got at a second hand store. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch beside Will.

"Sorry mate," Merlin said with a huge sigh, "I'll play a few rounds with you but after that I'll have to get to work."

"All you ever do is work!" Will snapped, standing up to fold his arms across his chest and glare down at Merlin. "Blimey Merlin, you work night and day, you slave away and don't ever get any thanks for it! I'm sick of this, I hardly ever see you anymore!"

"I know! But it isn't like I have a choice!" He shot back, "I _need_ this job, and it doesn't matter that it's for the Pendragons, no matter who I'd be working for, I'd be pulling this many hours! I'm in an entry level position Will, I'll always have to pull 12 hour days, and you just need to accept it."

"It does matter that it's for the Pendragons and you know it! They don't care about anyone else Merlin, they just care about how much cash they're getting in their pockets. They don't care who they use, who they hurt and steal it from as long as their bottom line is nice and fat!" Will ranted and Merlin felt himself get increasingly more defensive.

"It isn't like-"

"And now you're trying to defend them!" Will threw up his hands and stormed away, "I can't believe this Merlin. Ever since you started working there you've changed and I don't think it's something you should be proud of." He slammed the door to his bedroom and Merlin sat frozen on the couch, breathing hard and his face flushed with anger.

Frustrated, Merlin snatched up his backpack and stormed out of the apartment. He couldn't work here, with Will just in the other room judging him, being angry with him. He got on his bike and began peddling down the street and didn't stop until he reached a tavern not too far from the office. It was a quieter bar, not one full of tourists or loud college students but a hole in the wall, visited only by locals who wanted to meet up for a quiet drink.

He slid into a booth and ordered a pint when the server came over and then pulled out the large stack of papers. Digging in his bag, he found a red pen and began reading over the business plan for Conair Co. An hour later and several red circles, he had read through a third of it, and he thought that it was a decent proposal, save for the several typos. The more he read though, the more he liked the business plan and was surprised to see that Arthur had done everything to try and save as many jobs as possible. He had made sure to keep as much of the current staff as he could with only making very few cuts, which Merlin knew was something Uther would protest. Uther never liked any of the staff to continue on in the businesses they purchased, he considered it bad blood and that they would plot to destroy the business. Merlin was of the belief that Uther was bat shit crazy, but of course, he'd never express that opinion to anyone. Instead, he just admired Arthur's determination to do the right thing though he was surprised that he was even trying at all.

At midnight, Merlin had finally finished reading through the proposals. It had taken two beers and three cups of coffee, but he had managed to make it through without falling asleep. He pulled the cash out of his pocket, tossing fifteen quid on the table and stood up, is whole body ached from the lack of movement. He stretched, raising his arms high above his head and bending back a little and made a mental note that he really need to do some yoga although he had no idea when he would manage that. He packed up his bag and headed outside. He regretted leaving the house in such a rush as he hadn't brought his jacket or umbrella and it was now raining pretty heavily and the damp reached into every part of him, making him shiver violently as he biked home.

The lights were off when he got in and he knocked on Will's door only to find it empty. There was a note on the counter with Will's scrawl on it saying he was going to Rebecca's, his girlfriend's. Sighing, Merlin stripped down and had a hot shower, attempting to warm up. Afterwards, he dressed in his pajamas, pulled on a hoodie and curled up on the couch. He set his alarm for 6:30 am and was asleep in minutes.

o.O.o.O

It was too early, it was so ungodly early Merlin thought as he turned his alarm off. He couldn't remember the last time he slept in and all he wanted to do was stay in bed where it was warm and comfortable. Yawning loudly, Merlin stretched, his long limbs dangling over the ends of the couch. He laid there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling in the total silence, the only light came from the street lights outside. He could still hear the patter of the rain against the glass and knew it would be an overcast day. Finally, he rolled off the couch and got up, stumbling across the flat to the kitchen to make himself his coffee.

Half an hour later, Merlin walked downstairs and went into the bakery that was just opening up with all its fresh goods.

"Morning Merlin," Anita, the baker said as he walked in.

"Good morning Anita," he said tiredly.

"Need some coffee?"

"I need a vat of coffee," Merlin joked and leaned against the counter, "no; I actually need an assortment of pastries, a large tray please." He ordered and Anita grabbed a large delivery tray and began putting an assortment of goodies from bagels, croissants to donuts and Danishes. Anita's bakery was Merlin's favorite place since he moved to London from his small village, Ealdor in Ireland. He enjoyed his sweets and he considered a good bakery to be a mandatory part of his life so when he discovered that they were renting the flat above it, he and Will had snatched it up before anyone else could. The fact that it was only a ten minute bike ride to work was an added bonus in his opinion since he didn't have a car. Merlin paid for the tray of goodies and went outside to hail a cab. He gave the driver the address and in five minutes, he was inside Camelot, walking down the dark corridors to his desk.

He set the tray down and pulled his bag off and then headed to boardroom one. It didn't take too long and by quarter to eight, the room was set up and smelling of fresh coffee. Merlin stood there smiling at his work before realizing that the meeting wasn't until nine.

"Bloody hell," Merlin groaned and quickly went to cover the pastries. He sat down at his desk and banged his head down on the top. "Ow," he groaned to no one, not bothering to lift it up. He banged it against the glass a few more times, trying to wake himself up or knock himself out, he wasn't entirely sure which he would prefer when someone cleared their throat. Slowly, Merlin lifted his head to find Arthur standing in front of his desk, arms folded across his broad chest looking down at him with an amused but serious expression.

"Merlin," Arthur raised his eyebrows, "you really can't afford to damage any more of your brain cells." Merlin groaned and smacked his head on the table again.

"Good morning Arthur," he mumbled and Arthur smirked.

"Good morning Merlin. I trust you have my proposal?"

"Uh huh," Merlin nodded, his head still on the desk and Arthur tapped his foot. Merlin watched his foot through the glass and fought the urge to kick him in the shins.

"And where is it?"

"Here," Merlin said, holding his backpack up.

"Well hurry it up _Mer_lin," Arthur growled impatiently and Merlin finally lifted his head up, a large red mark on his forehead.

"Here," he handed him the stack of papers.

"Excellent," Arthur took the stack and headed into his office, "and where is my coffee Merlin?!"

Merlin groaned, silently wondering if he had been struck by a bus and was now in hell. He got up and went into the staff room and made a pot of coffee.

"Here you go," Merlin said as he handed Arthur the cup of coffee five minutes later.

"Foul," Arthur said with a grimace as he sipped the coffee. Merlin noticed though that he continued to drink it and so made no attempt to improve his coffee skills.

"The plan was very interesting," he said and Arthur looked up with a skeptical look. "I did understand it you know, I'm not a complete idiot."

"Of course you are," Arthur smiled and Merlin glared.

"You know Uther isn't going to be a big fan of you keeping on the staff." Merlin pointed out, curious to know why Arthur wasn't doing exactly what daddy wanted. Arthur sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.

"If you knew anything about business _Mer_lin, you would know that it usually costs more to hire and train entirely new staff rather than just better train your current staff. The problem with Conair wasn't that their staff wasn't doing their job; it was just bad marketing combined with not keeping their staff up to date on latest practices. Add that with the bad investments and you get a company that can't survive on its own but with a new campaign, new training and some sound business advice, it can get back on its feet and start making a profit again." Arthur explained in the most patronizing way that he could manage. Merlin tried not to twitch; he had after all, studied business at Oxford University and had a much better understanding of business and law than Arthur seemed to give him credit for. He momentarily wondered if Arthur had even read his resume.

"I'm aware of that," he said and sat down across from Arthur, "and I agree with your decision to keep on the staff, I'm just wondering if your father will."

"It doesn't matter if my father likes it or not, it's a solid plan and he won't be able to argue with it. Now if you're done playing like you even know what I'm talking about, would you please go back to your desk and answer the phones?"

"Whatever you say, sir," Merlin muttered and walked out of the office. He really wished he could slap Arthur up the side of the head way too often.

At eight fifty five, Arthur dragged Merlin to the boardroom where several other staff had already begun showing up. Merlin recognized Uther and Morgana, but the rest were unknown to him.

"Merlin," Morgana said when she spotted him, "I trust my brother hasn't mistreated you?" Merlin snorted and then withered as Arthur gave him a death glare.

"No, not at all," he said quickly and Morgana eyed Arthur suspiciously. He was always so cruel to his staff, not much differently than their father.

"Well, let me introduce you around," she said, linking her arm with him. She found Merlin to be rather adorable and there was something about him that she immediately liked, though she suspected that was true for most people when they met him. He seemed to be able to make friends with anyone and everyone and just after a few days working for Arthur, Morgana had heard about him. She especially admired his honesty, she had heard that he had told Arthur off a few times for the way he spoke to his staff and it had surprised everyone. No one ever dared speak against Arthur Pendragon, the heir of Camelot. No one, except Merlin and Morgana felt that he deserved a level of respect she hadn't given any other assistant before.

"Leon, _this_ is Merlin," Morgana introduced. Leon was a tall, curly haired blonde dressed in a dark grey suit.

"Hello," Merlin shook his hand.

"Leon is head of the legal department," Morgana explained, "and this is Lance, he's head of the financial department."

"Pleasure to meet you," Lance said, taking Merlin's hand and shaking it. "I've heard lots about you."

"Really?" Merlin frowned, "I hope it wasn't from Arthur." Lance laughed and shook his head.

"No, Morgana has relayed some of the stories about you."

"Stories?" Merlin's eyebrows lifted as he looked around innocently, making Lance laugh.

"Seems you're a bit of a hero to the employees in Arthur's department, standing up for them against him when he's being unreasonable." Morgana explained.

"Ah," Merlin nodded, he definitely didn't consider himself a hero by any means. He just didn't care who Arthur was, he had no problems telling him off if he was being an ass.

"And here is Percy," Morgana said, pulling a tall, muscular man to her side and introducing him. "Percival here is our media liaison. Percy, this is Merlin, Arthur's new personal assistant."

"Hello," Percy shook his hand and Merlin thought he was an odd choice to be the media liaison. He was handsome enough, Merlin gave him a once over quickly, definitely attractive but his smile was forced and awkward and he seemed like the kind of guy who would rather spend his time with a few close friends than be in the spot light. To be honest, Merlin was surprised that Morgana wasn't the media liaison, she thrived in the center of attention and though he liked her well enough, he could sense her killer instincts that she inherited from Uther. Instead, she was the head of the marketing team for Uther's department that dealt with the large businesses.

"Merlin," Arthur cut in, his voice annoyed and held up a cup of coffee, "where did you get this coffee?"

"I made it," Merlin said with a shrug and Arthur scowled.

"That explains it," he muttered under his breath. Uther walked in and immediately the room fell silent, he was the kind of man that commanded attention and respect. Merlin took his seat between Arthur and Lance and pulled out his pen and paper.

"Good morning," Uther said and then immediately began to delve into business. The meeting was long as it was the monthly staff meeting to review the work that everyone had done and upcoming projects. Arthur let him know that he would have the Conair Co presentation to him by the end of the week and that it just needed some final editing. There was no praise from Uther towards anyone's work. Instead, he was frustrated with the financial report that Lance provided, annoyed with the red tape Leon informed him of and disappointed with Morgana's marketing pitch. Overall, no one was performing to the standards that Uther expected and he spent a good ten minutes yelling at them all for their 'failure'.

Everyone left the meeting feeling rather discouraged and a bit miffed. Though Arthur smiled and joked with his sister, Merlin could tell that he was angry and he wondered who would be the target for his anger later on. Most likely, Merlin thought, it would be him but better him than someone else he figured. At least if it was him, he could handle it.

o.O.o.O

It was well past lunch when the meeting had ended but Merlin didn't a chance to eat. Arthur immediately had him go through the Conair report with him and then he had to go through it and correct all the mistakes on the digital copy. Arthur's mood was getting increasingly worse, the time for teasing long past and Merlin was trying to avoid him as best as he could. His own mood wasn't very good from lack of sleep and his fight with Will the night before. It didn't help that Arthur was being a particular ass and seemed to be proving Will right by constantly snapping at Merlin or someone else.

At five though Merlin was forced to confront Arthur.

"You are fucking idiot!" Arthur was screaming at Josh, one of the people who worked on the marketing team. "This is rubbish!" Merlin had heard him screaming across the hall and walked over just in time to see Arthur throwing the papers at Josh. Josh quickly bent down to pick them up, his hands trembling.

"I'm sorry Mr. Pendragon," he stammered, unable to look up at Arthur.

"Don't be sorry, be right! Get it fucking right! I'm surrounded by fucking idiots!" Arthur screamed and Merlin lost it.

"Hey!" He yelled back, "I think he's had enough. You've made your point."

"Excuse me?" Arthur spun on Merlin and in two quick steps, he was standing right in front of him, and though they were nearly the same height, he seemed to tower over the smaller man.

"I said, I-"

"I know what you said," Arthur spat, "just the fact that you think you can say that and-"

"No matter what anyone has done, they don't deserve to have you speak to them like that." Merlin interrupted and he saw Arthur's eye twitch slightly.

"In my office, _now_" he hissed and pushed passed Merlin. Merlin looked over at Josh who was still kneeling on the floor, frozen as he watched the exchange.

"I'm sorry," Josh mouthed and Merlin shrugged.

"Merlin! NOW!" Arthur roared and Merlin hurried into his office, slamming the door behind him. "Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you speak to me like-"

"How dare _I speak to _you_ like that_? How dare _you_ speak to your employees like that! That was far beyond telling him he messed up, you were downright abusive! You're a fucking bully Arthur! How dare you scream at him like that in front of everyone? You humiliated him in front of his coworkers," Merlin spat, his temper finally flaring too hot to put out. Arthur's face flushed with anger and he lifted his hand to point at Merlin. "Don't you point that finger at me," Merlin spat and stepped up to him, "You're an abusive, snotty, arrogant... dollophead!" Merlin yelled and Arthur blinked at him.

"Dollophead?" Arthur repeated, the anger fizzing out like a hole in a balloon and he seemed to deflate in front of Merlin who was still puffed up and dishevelled.

"Yea, that's right, a dollophead. An arrogant, spoiled, prat!" He added.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Arthur asked, suddenly finding the little man amusing.

Merlin pinched his lip and put his hands on his hips while he thought, "I think you should apologize."

"Right, well _Mer_lin, thank you for your opinion but I didn't ask for it." Arthur explained, wondering how it was possible to go from feeling blind with rage to suddenly feeling light headed and amused.

"Look Arthur," Merlin sighed, "I know that what your father said earlier must have-"

"Don't Merlin," he ordered. Uther had pulled Arthur aside just before they had left the meeting. He had told him that he was incredibly disappointed with his work lately and he was having doubts about Arthur's ability to run the company in the future. He had said it quietly enough that only Arthur had heard but Merlin was standing close enough that he had heard it too.

"Just listen," Merlin pressed, "you don't have to bully your staff to get respect. You don't have to be like him." He said gently and Arthur glared at him.

"You have no idea what you're talking about Merlin," Arthur said tiredly and turned away, looking out the window.

"I know that you're afraid to disappoint him but I also know that you don't want to be like him, that you're kind and that you'll make a great boss..." Merlin whispered. "You're brilliant with business Arthur, honestly. You found a way to save 95% of the jobs at Conair Co and also turn it around to be making a profit in three months and that's just one business. You're trying to save The Custom Shoe; you always try to save the businesses. You're a good man; you just need to let other people see that."

"Merlin," Arthur said again, a little more forcefully, "shut up." Merlin frowned and stared at Arthur's back. A part of him wanted to smack him senseless and just keep yelling at him but another part, the part that always won in the end, could see how much Uther's words had hurt him, and he wanted to find some way to comfort him. In the end, he resorted to Starbucks and staying late to help him with reports.

Arthur wouldn't admit it and he certainly wouldn't let Merlin know, but he regretted his behaviour earlier and sent Josh an email apologizing. Merlin, the idiot, could sometimes be annoyingly accurate and even though it made him nuts, he was glad Merlin spoke out. No one else would have told him off, except maybe Morgana, and he needed that. Contrary to popular belief, Arthur did not want to be anything like his father but he had his father's temper and it was good to finally have someone in his life that could stop him from going too far. He looked over at Merlin who was sitting across from him, sorting old files into piles and humming to himself and felt grateful for his company that night. He was full of surprises and Arthur found himself wondering what other surprises were in store for him.


	3. Chapter 3

I can't believe how many people are reading this! Thanks guys!

Chapter Three

Will came home a couple days later and the two made up. Though Merlin felt that things had changed between the two of them and he wasn't sure if things would ever be quite right again. Merlin tried to spend as much time with Will as he could, but Will was spending more and more time at his girlfriend's place and when he wasn't there, he was at work or Merlin was at work. So the distance between them continued to grow and Merlin tried to force it from his thoughts as much as he could.

Instead, he continued to work, slaving away for Arthur. After two months working for Camelot Inc, Merlin thought he had finally figured out the various clicks that operated in the company. There were the usual inner department clicks but there were also the inter-department clicks. All the secretaries were close friends and to get on the bad side of one was to get on the wrong side of all of them and though they were secretaries, they held a surprising amount of power and could make your life a living hell. Merlin made sure that he always greeted them all with a grin and more often than not, he brought them treats from Anita's and they were all quickly in love with him. Then there was the marketing click, they were all a bit snobbish in Merlin's opinion, but as long as he complimented them on their new pieces of fashion and their work, they were good to him. The financial clicks were a bit more difficult for Merlin to get in good graces with but once he discovered that several of them were serious fans of Doctor Who and all things BBC, his relationship was permanently in good standing with them. Fitting in with the legal crowd was easy as they were the type of crowd that Merlin often found himself surrounded by at school and they were also the few people who actually respected his opinion and acknowledged him for abilities. Gaius was everyone's father and friend and Merlin grew rather attached to the old man. He was quirky and weird but he had a wicked sense of humor and provided Merlin with endless stories of Arthur as a kid. Merlin tried to visit the man once a week, always baring goodies from Anita's and spending an hour listening to stories. The biggest click though was the 'Royal Court' or so everyone else had named them. They were the heads of the various departments and Merlin found himself spending a great deal of time with them due to working for Arthur. Morgana and Arthur were the Princess and Prince of Camelot and Lance, Leon and Percy were the knights of Camelot. Uther was king and Morgause and Nimueh were advisors to the king. In reality, Morgause and Nimueh were only shareholders who sat on the board of directors and had very little to do with the daily life at Camelot. Merlin only had occasion to meet them once in the two months he had been there and that was more than enough for him. They were leaches of the corporate world, vultures that fed off the poor and sucked the life out of individuality and everything else that Merlin despised about the corporate world.

There were also the clients that Merlin had the pleasure, and displeasure, of meeting. His favorite though had been Gwen Smith, the owner of The Little Custom Shoe. They had immediate hit it off and even after the deal went through, they stayed in touch. On the rare occasions that Merlin managed to actually get a lunch break, they would meet up or if Merlin was able to get off work at a decent hour they would go for dinner. Gwen was a sweet woman, with big dreams for her business but like Merlin, she had a small, simple life and came from a life of poverty. She was like a piece of home for Merlin, a small part that kept him tied to his past and he was grateful for her, even if he never shared anything personal with her.

Despite being on friendly terms with nearly everyone at work, Merlin hadn't managed to make many close friends. In fact, Gwen was the only person he could really consider his friend and even that was a lot more one-sided (on Gwen's part) for Merlin to really count it as someone he could confide in. So when Lance stopped by Arthur's office, Merlin was surprised to be invited out for drinks with them that evening. He was still debating going when Arthur released him for the night and he ran into Lance in the hallway.

"So you coming tonight?" Lance asked, grinning at Merlin and walking into the elevator with him.

"Um," Merlin looked over at him and shrugged, "sure, why not!"

"Excellent! Don't worry, Arthur and Morgana have dinner with Uther tonight, so it'll just be us lowly servants." He said with a cheeky smile and Merlin couldn't help but grin. A night off of Arthur, it had been the first in weeks. Merlin sent Will a text, telling him he was going out for drinks and that he was welcome to come. He wasn't surprised though that he didn't get a response back.

"So Merlin," Leon said as he sat down, setting the pitcher of beer on the table, "are you ready to kill Arthur yet?"

"I was ready on my first day!" Merlin said and the group of men laughed.

"Yea, Arthur is a real piece of work," Lance said, chuckling as he poured Merlin a pint.

"Blimey, he's exhausting! Honestly, I have no idea how he's managed to survive this long." Merlin joked, happy to be able to complain about Arthur without it starting a fight.

"No idea," Leon shook his head, "I think you're the longest lasting assistant yet."

"Seriously?!" Merlin gaped at them in horror as they nodded.

"Honestly, I think before you was Hilda and she only lasted a month." Lance said, "He always drives them away."

"Well I'm glad I'm not the only one he's particularly cruel to!"

"Hell no, and I don't think he's ever had an assistant with a mouth like yours," Leon added and Merlin blushed slightly.

"No one ever talks back to Arthur," Percy said, having kept quiet for most of the conversation, "everyone's always been afraid he's so much like Uther that they won't ever say anything bad about him."

"I've heard Uther has a bit of a reputation for firing people," Merlin said, a bit curious to learn more about the man everyone compared Arthur to.

"He fires more people than he has on staff most of the time," Lance said, his voice having dropped considerably in volume as if Uther would still manage to over hear them somehow.

"Why?" Merlin asked, sipping his beer.

"Uther is terrified of corporate espionage so every time an employee botches something up, he accuses them of doing it on purpose and fires them."

"Really?" Merlin couldn't help but laugh, "crikey, I knew he was crazy but I didn't think he was that nuts!" The others laughed.

"Yea, well, he is a bit mad." Leon pointed out, "but still, you have to admit he's damn good at what he does." They nodded in agreement.

"Arthur seems a bit different though," Merlin piped up, unsure of the topic. Though they were in the same circle as Arthur at work, he wasn't sure how they actually felt about him.

"Arthur is completely different than Uther," Leon said, and immediately Merlin could see the loyalty. He was one of their own and even though they would tease him and joke about his inability to keep an assistant, this was the person they stood behind.

"Seems that way," he offered and he noticed that the others seemed to relax a bit, as if they were prepared to defend him should Merlin say anything truly bad about him. "So do you all know each other from work or is there a bit of history?" He asked, wanting to get to know these people better.

"I went to college with Arthur," Leon said, "our families have been friends before either of us was born so we grew up with each other. He's like a brother." That explained Leon's furious loyalty to him, Merlin thought.

"And you guys?"

"I met Arthur at work after I got hired," Lance said, "No history there, we just ended up being friends. It's hard not to be when you're the boss and the only other people willing to actually have a conversation with you are the other bosses."

"True," Merlin nodded, "I can't imagine it's very easy to get close to anyone at work. What about you Percy?"

"I met Arthur through a mutual friend a few years ago; he got me the job at Camelot." Percy said, finishing off his beer and waving the waitress down for another pitcher.

"How are you finding it Merlin? People at the office seem to like you," Lance asked.

"Yea, it's alright. It's been interesting. Honestly I didn't think I would enjoy it very much, Camelot Inc has a bit of a reputation that I was hoping not to associate myself with." Merlin said honestly, "but having worked there now for a little bit, I think it's a bit misrepresented. I grew up in a small town though, that survived on local businesses and when large companies took over it kind of killed it, so I guess I was a bit biased."

"Yea, most people don't see the good that we do; they just see the large corporate banner and paint us as evil." Lance said and Merlin nodded, that was really all too true.

"Yea," Merlin sighed, "my friend Will is one of those people. I'm not sure if he'll ever forgive me for working at Camelot."

"If he's really your friend, he won't care who you work for, as long as you're still true to who you are." Lance reassured and Merlin smiled weakly.

"I think he thinks that I've changed." Merlin said gently and looked at Lance, desperate for some kind of reassurance that he wasn't selling his soul to Arthur. He hadn't talked to anyone about his relationship with Will, he and Gwen mostly talked about frivolous stuff or about her dad but they stayed away from Merlin's personal life. He hadn't had anyone to talk to in such a long time that he craved it now. Sensing that the topic was reaching a bit personal, Percy challenged Leon to a game of darts and the two went off, smack talking each other loudly.

"How does he think you've changed?" Lance asked once the other two were gone, looking at Merlin kindly.

"I don't know, honestly. He thinks I'm being brainwashed," Merlin said and Lance chuckled.

"Starting to see things a little less black and white?"

"You could say that," Merlin leaned back in his chair and played with the coaster from his beer. "There's history there with Camelot and Will and I understand why he can't forgive Uther or Arthur but he knows me, he knows I would never do anything to hurt him. Still though, he won't let go of the fact that I've agreed to work here and especially directly for Arthur."

Lance put his hand on Merlin's shoulder reassuringly, "he will come around Merlin, he probably just needs some time. Be patient with him."

"Thanks," Merlin smiled over at Lance and blushed, "sorry, I didn't mean to get all Debbie downer!"

"No worries Merlin! I only hope that I've been able to offer you some comfort," he said with a kind smile.

"You did Lance."

"If you ever want to get together for lunch, my door is always open. I know Arthur can be cruel but I think he actually enjoys having you around, still he doesn't make for the greatest listener, so if you ever have need to talk or anything, you find me." Lance offered and Merlin grinned. Normally if someone made such an offer, he would think that they were only saying it to be nice but Merlin could tell that Lance was sincere. He genuinely cared about Merlin and Merlin was grateful to finally have someone he trust and talk to.

"Thanks. Should we see if Leon has injured Percy with the darts?" Merlin asked, grinning and Lance grinned back.

"Absolutely. I wouldn't trust Leon with a dart if my life depended on it!"

Merlin spent the rest of the night laughing and joking around with the boys, truly enjoying himself. There was an endless amount of teasing of Arthur and Merlin and Merlin was quick to turn it around to tease the others. By the end of the night, they all patted Merlin on the back as they sent him in a cab, and Merlin smiled himself, feeling like a part of the group. He wasn't sure how long it would last, if once at work they would ignore him, but regardless, he was grateful for a night of fun.

**Kilgharrah: **I'm struggling with chapter four a bit. I don't want to dwell so much on every day life and I want to get the story moving a bit, but there are a few major plot points that I need to put into play before I can add the parts that I've already written. So next chapter might not be up for a day or two while I sort it out! Thanks again though everyone for reading! much appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, so I lied. I managed to write it today :D Just took a little bit of pacing while BBQing

Chapter Four

As the holidays drew closer, Will and Merlin managed to make up and actually spend some quality time together. Halloween fell on a Friday, so after work, Will and Merlin held their traditional Halloween party. There weren't many people there, Gwen, Anita, Rebecca and a few of Will's friends from work. Lance and the others promised to stop by but Morgana was hosting her own traditional party (Merlin had been invited but in trying to keep the peace with Will, he had declined his invitation).

The small crowd was more than acceptable for Merlin though. He always enjoyed spending Halloween curled up on the couch, watching B rated horror movies and stuffing his face with candy. So he ate his fill of Cadbury scream eggs and tried the American sweets that Will's American co-worker, Ben, brought with him. Merlin became an addict of candy corn quickly and immediately informed Ben that he would have to supply him with his candy crack from now on.

The boys did stop by the party on their way to Morgana's from the pub. Lance was dressed up as a pirate, Leon wore a Zero costume and Percy came as a knight and Merlin laughed, taking pictures of them doing ridiculous poses. He introduced them to everyone but they left quickly, sensing the tension they created between Will and Merlin. Merlin refused though to let any bad feelings grow that night, so he pushed through, deciding to do a horror theme game of charades. It was a lot of fun and when the night ended, they promised to get together more often for game nights.

For the next couple of weeks, they were able to keep their promises to get together but when Uther enlisted Arthur and his team to assist on a major project, Merlin ran out of free time to spend with friends. He spent most nights working late, often not coming home until nine or ten. When Merlin informed Will that Arthur had asked him to stay on through the Thanksgiving weekend and he would thus not be able to return to Ealdor with him, Will didn't say anything but Merlin could see that the old rift between them had started again.

The project was a large contract from Rome that Camelot was acquiring and had been in talks for five years. It was the largest deal Uther had made in several years and would mean millions of dollars of either profit or loss should they fail. So emotions ran high and tension around the office grew until it became a palpable monster, lurking around the corners waiting to send a junior staff into a break down. Every department was involved in the final weeks of the contract, and the joking attitudes dissolved as everyone feared they would be the one to botch it.

As they spent every day working with Uther directly, either in the office or with the clients, Arthur became increasingly detached and stressed out. Therefore, Merlin took it upon himself to not just assist Arthur with the usual work related jobs; he made it his mission to care for Arthur personally. When the stress would get too much, Arthur would either lash out at his employees and Merlin would have to step in, creating a distraction or shifting the focus of Arthur's anger onto himself. Other times, Arthur's stress would take the form of utter forgetfulness which Merlin found thoroughly amusing but he never mentioned. His jobs then branched out from the usual filing and faxing to picking up groceries and dropping them at Arthur's flat, picking up his dry cleaning, and making sure he stopped working to actually eat. As the deadline approached near the middle of December, Merlin ended up spending a great deal of time at Arthur's flat with him. He would manage to convince Arthur to leave the office but only with the promise to continue working at home were Merlin would be able to prepare them something proper to eat. They were both more than sick of take out and Merlin worried Arthur would develop scurvy the way he held up in his office, the curtains drawn and mumbling to himself like a mad man. So Merlin cared for Arthur much the same way he cared for his mother when she was sick. Offering gentle reminders to eat, to sleep, to shower (although it was hardly gentle reminders—he usually informed Arthur that he was beginning to smell and attract flies and would beg him to please for the love of all that is good and right, would he please take a shower?!) or appearing at his side when he realized that he had forgotten his tie, his tablet or whatever it was at that moment and would wordlessly hand it over. Arthur never acknowledged needing Merlin's added assistance and he never thanked him but he also never pushed Merlin away and so Merlin took that to mean that he appreciated his help even if he couldn't say it.

On the eve of the deadline, Arthur and Merlin were still at the office at one am, putting together the final touches on Arthur's portion of the project. Merlin rubbed his eyes tiredly, having only slept a few hours the night before and the stress of the situation was wearing him down past the point of exhaustion.

"One more night Merlin," Arthur said in the dim light, "and then this will be over."

"Yea, let's hope the deal goes through," Merlin said, shuddering at the thought that it might not and fearing the wrath of Uther.

"It will go through Merlin," Arthur said and Merlin nodded. "I think that's everything..." Arthur moved away from the computer and Merlin looked over at the screen.

"Finished?" He asked, his eyes shining with the excitement of finally getting a good night's sleep.

"Yes, that's it." Arthur hit print and they both sat back in their chairs as the printer hummed and spat out the hundred pages.

When it finished printing, Arthur gathered up the pages and slid them into a manila envelope and then sealed it.

"Merlin," Arthur looked over at his assistant with the most serious expression Merlin had seen yet, "I am going to give this to you and I want you to deliver it to legal by 8:55 am tomorrow morning. Our lawyers need time to look it over before the courier comes to pick it up at ten. This is _very important Merlin_, if you screw this up and this deal falls through, I'm going to hold you accountable to my father, do you understand me?"

Merlin gulped and looked at the envelope. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to deliver it yourself?" He asked, suddenly not wanting to take such a responsibility.

"_Mer_lin, I am tired, I want to go home and go to bed and come into the office for nine instead of seven and I don't want to have to think about this anymore. You're my assistant; this is your job now." Arthur explained tiredly and Merlin frowned, he was tired too and wanted to go home but he sighed and nodded.

"Fine," he took the envelope, "I'll make sure it gets to legal in time." He said and Arthur nodded.

"Good," he stood up and pulled on his jacket and scarf, Merlin watched as the muscles in Arthur's body moved. "Goodnight Merlin," he said and walked out of the office, leaving Merlin to sit alone in his office in the dark.

Merlin sat there for several minutes contemplating what he was going to do. He could go home and catch a couple hours of sleep but he would run the risk of over sleeping and ignoring his alarm. Or he could stay at the office, it wouldn't be the first time he'd fallen asleep on the couch in Arthur's office but it would be uncomfortable and he wasn't sure he could sleep anyway. He felt like he held the secret battle plans for war in his hands and the entire kingdom was relying on him and his stomach was full of knots with worry of messing it up. He wondered if he could just go down to legal now and put it in their mailbox but he knew that they rarely actually paid any attention to their mailbox and they wouldn't be expecting to find the most important contract of their careers stuffed between memos about proper work attire and Sally's birthday party invite. So he decided the best option would be to go back to his own desk and finish up some of his own work and try to stay awake until it was time to deliver the package.

He managed to make it through his work by five am and so he decided he would pull out his book and spend the next few hours reading.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled from a great distance and Merlin pushed it away.

"No, go away Arthur," he mumbled, why couldn't Arthur ever leave him alone for five minutes? He was reading for Christ's sake!

"_Mer_lin! What are you doing?! Wake up!" Arthur grabbed Merlin's shoulders and pushed him into a sitting position and Merlin blinked up at him in confusion. He looked down at his desk and discovered that he had passed out while reading, a small drool spot marked his page and then his eyes fell on the envelope.

"Oh no!" He said quickly and Arthur's gaze followed his.

"No, you didn't!" Arthur roared and they both looked at the time. It was almost half past nine. "Merlin you idiot!" Arthur snatched up the envelope and race down the hallway, disappearing around the corner. Merlin sat frozen, his head still full of sleep and the horror as he realized what he'd done.

"Please, please let it get there in time." Merlin prayed, standing up on shaking legs. He went into Arthur's office and awaited punishment.

o.O.o.O.o

How Merlin had managed to fuck this up was beyond Arthur. He was so angry he almost walked right passed Leon's office.

"Leon!" Arthur pushed open his door.

"Arthur! Do you have the contract? Uther is on a war path," Arthur held up the envelope, silencing Leon momentarily, "Arthur... we don't have time to review it."

"Read as much as you can," Arthur said quickly and Leon shook his head.

"The courier is here," Leon said and pointed to a small man sitting in the corner of the office. "Give it to me and I'll address it. You had better go see your father and explain to him why no one but you has actually read over the contract."

"Right," Arthur nodded, his face paling as he walked out and stared at the elevator. What was he going to say? He could blame Merlin but the truth was that he was responsible for Merlin anyway so no matter how he looked at it, it was his fault. His father had finally trusted him enough to let him handle the most important part of this deal and here he had mucked itup. All the way up to his father's office, he debated what he would say.

"Arthur," Uther's tone was curt as Arthur walked into his office and he felt like he was five years old again and had to explain how he had broken his father's most prized statue.

"Father-"

"You had better have a damn good explanation for this Arthur Pendragon!" Uther roared and Arthur felt himself involuntarily flinch.

"I do not," he said honestly and looked up into his father's angry face. "I forgot to give it to my assistant last night and this morning I thought I had. When I came in I found it on my desk and rushed it over to Leon as fast as I could but unfortunately, that wasn't fast enough."

"You _forgot_?"Uther's voice had lowered significantly and Arthur knew that was the sign his father was about to lose it. He looked up to see the vein throbbing in his forehead. "YOU FORGOT?!"

Instinctively, Arthur took a step back from his father as he yelled, fearing that he would be so angry as to hit him.

"If this deal doesn't go through Arthur," he said, his entire body shaking with rage, "you will wish you had never been born." He spat angrily and Arthur nodded.

"I'm sorry father; I do not know what to say other than I can assure you that I put my very best into the proposal and though Leon did not review it, Merlin does have his law degree and he did read it and found no fault with it."

"I hope for both our sakes that that boy is smarter than you," Uther seethed, "because if this is your very best work then I am sad to say but I am sorely disappointed. Now get out." He ordered and Arthur nodded before turning on his heel and leaving.

"_Merlin!_" Arthur roared as he stepped out of the elevator and Merlin heard him all the way in his office. As much as Arthur wanted to choke the life out of Merlin, there was really nothing that could be done at this point.

"Arthur, I am so sorry," Merlin said as soon as Arthur walked in the office and shut the door. "I don't know what happened. One moment I was reading and the next you were there and..."

"Don't," Arthur held up his hand, too tired to even yell at him. All of his hard work, all the countless nights he had spent at the office working on this, all of the years his father had put into this project all jeopardized because Merlin fell asleep. It would have been comical if it didn't mean they could both potentially lose their jobs.

"Arthur," Merlin pleaded and tears shined in his eyes. Arthur looked over at him and felt his stomach lurch. He wouldn't say it, but he did notice everything Merlin had done for him in the last few months and he appreciated his help more than Merlin could ever know. And despite the fact that he was so pissed off with him, he couldn't bear to see Merlin cry.

"Merlin don't worry about it, what is done is done," he said, "Go home, take the day off and sleep. We won't know if the deal's gone through or not by tomorrow anyway. Let's just hope it does."

"But," Merlin gulped and quickly brushed away his tears, "I can stay and help out with today." He offered weakly and Arthur shook his head.

"I don't need you today Merlin. I'm not doing anything really anyway," he lied, unable to say that he really just couldn't handle seeing Merlin so upset. He shouldn't have put so much pressure on him. He should have stayed last night, made sure that it got delivered on time. He was still blaming himself mentally when Merlin finally said goodbye and left the office for the day. He wondered if he was managing to hold back his tears until he was out of the office. He should have offered him some kind of reassurance, he thought too late.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin clenched his hands to his sides as he walked out of the office, holding his head high as he fought back the tears. _Stupid, stupid, idiot!_ He scolded himself, how could he have let this happen? If it didn't go through, he didn't know what would happen. He would probably be fired, he thought and then the idea of having to move back to Ealdor, having failed at his first major career filling him with humiliation.

The tears fell freely as he walked through the hallway, unsure of where he was going but finding himself standing in front of Gaius' office. He pushed open the door, sobbing openly now and stumbled into Gaius' office.

"Merlin!" Gaius exclaimed, seeing Merlin fall into his office sobbing, "What is it? What has happened?" He asked, fearing the worst.

"I messed up Gaius," Merlin cried, "I really messed it up."

"What did you mess up?" He asked, bending down to the young boy and wrapping his arm around him soothingly.

"The contract," Merlin sniffed and let Gaius guide him to a chair, "Arthur wanted me to deliver it to Leon this morning before nine and... and I fell asleep and now it's on its way to Rome and it the whole thing could fall through all because of me!" He wailed and Gaius patted his back.

"There, there, I'm sure it will be alright," he soothed, rubbing Merlin's back. A few minutes passed and Merlin managed to regain control of himself, thanking Gaius for the tissue he handed him.

"I'm sorry to just burst in on you like this Gaius," Merlin said, "I'm just so tired and then this happened and I didn't know what else to do."

"It's alright my dear boy," Gaius moved away and reached into a battered cupboard and produced two glasses and a bottle of scotch. "Here, drink this," he said handing Merlin a glass and Merlin stared at it.

"Gaius, it's ten in the morning."

"And you've been up for nearly three days I don't doubt it, drink up and then I'll get you home in a cab." Gaius instructed and Merlin did as he was told. The scotch was good but rich and strong and burned his throat. It made his head feel fuzzy and lightheaded and he all he wanted to do was sleep. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok so this chapter has some sex in it. It's a little weird if the people I actually do know read this, lol never had anyone I knew personally read a sex scene, feels a bit awkward but oh well! Enjoy! It's not too horribly graphic

Chapter Five

Merlin woke up later in Will's bed, still wearing his clothes from the day before and his mouth parched. He swallowed dryly and sat up, rubbing his face and was surprised to feel a large amount of stubble. It took a moment for the events of the previous day to come back but when it did he quickly scrambled out of bed and raced out of the room.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Will said as Merlin burst into the living room.

"What time is it? What day is it?" He asked quickly, suddenly panicked and desperate to know what was going on.

"It's ten am, Thursday morning," Will said, "you've been out for a whole day. I told you you've been working too hard. Lance practically had to carry you up the stairs."

"What? Lance?" Merlin frowned, trying to remember how he got home but it was all so fuzzy and he momentarily wondered if Gaius had slipped something into his drink. "Thursday?" He gulped, they might know what happened by now. Merlin rushed over to his bag and pulled out his cell phone, scanning it for messages from Arthur.

_Merlin get in the office now_

_Where the hell are you?_

_Merlin! I'm not kidding; get your ass into the office now!_

Merlin stared at the text messages and gulped, too afraid to listen to the five voicemails from Arthur. He went over to his pile of laundry and pulled out some clean clothes, which there was very few to select from and he left the house wearing torn jeans, a yellow submarine Beatles shirt and his winter coat. Since he hadn't biked home yesterday, he had to hail a cab and sat in the back, anxiously twisting his fingers.

He ran all the way up to Arthur's office and came to an abrupt stop just outside the door. Gathering his breath, he pulled of his bag and coat, setting them across his desk and adjusting his hair. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and winced. His hair was sticking out in all directions and he became all too aware that he had neglected shaving for several days. He didn't care about that right now though. He needed to know what had happened so he took in a deep breath and knocked on Arthur's door.

"Enter," Arthur called and Merlin walked in. "Merlin!" He grinned, his entire face lighting up at the sight of the assistant.

"Sorry I'm late, I over slept..." Merlin mumbled, unsure of Arthur's happiness.

"Don't worry about it, Gaius told me he slipped a few sleeping pills into your drink." Arthur explained and Merlin silently cursed Gaius, he'd have a talk with him later.

"Did you hear back?" He asked, afraid to hear the answer and Arthur gave him a confused look as he packed up his briefcase.

"Didn't you listen to any of my voicemails?"

"I... I was in a hurry to get here," Merlin explained, not wanting to confess just how scared he was.

"Well I always knew you were an idiot," Arthur said, with the familiar teasing tone and Merlin felt his heart skip a beat, "we got it." He said with a giant grin and Merlin laughed with relief.

"Really?" He laughed, grinning ear to ear and Arthur laughed with him.

"Yes, _Mer_lin, despite your screw up, we still got it. Now we have the next couple days off, my father's gift to me for managing to not fail him for once, so go home and god's sake Merlin, clean yourself up! You look like a hobo." Arthur said, ruffling Merlin's hair as he walked by him and Merlin grinned, feeling relief wash through his body.

"Oh thank god," he sighed and walked out of the office. He glanced down at his phone as it beeped with a text message.

_Heard about what happened, go home, sleep some more, I'm taking you out tonight_ –Lance

He smiled and texted back, _where to?_

_We both need to get really knackered and you could use a shag_

Merlin laughed and sent a text back; _don't think you'd like my kind of clubs Lance_.

_What's that mean?_

_Means I tend to go to all male clubs ;)_

_I know that, you'd have to be an idiot (or Arthur!) to not know you were gay Merlin. I'll take you to a gay bar a friend told me about. I'll be your wing man_

_Alright, your funeral then. _Merlin sent and biked home, stilling grinning a huge grin.

o.O.o.O.o

That night Merlin was ready to finally let lose. He hadn't been out to a club in nearly six months and it had been even longer since he had had sex and he was more than a little ready to let off some tension. He couldn't deny it, spending nearly 24/7 with someone who looked like Arthur wasn't easy and it definitely didn't help that Arthur seemed to have no problem with his body and had undressed in front of Merlin on several occasions. Merlin knew he was his boss and that he would never actually act on his attraction to him but that didn't stop him from looking or from picturing what it would be like to sleep with him on more than one occasion.

"How do I look?" Merlin asked, running his hand through his hair and looking at Will. Will whistled and motioned for him to turn around. Merlin obeyed and turned around slowly; letting Will take in the full effect of his outfit. He was wearing tight black jeans that hung very low on his hips, a silver belt barely holding them up. He wore a black VNV Nation t-shirt that was just a little bit too small so that if he were to reach up, the hem of his shirt would rise up and you could clearly see his hip bones. Around his neck, he wore a dark red neckerchief and over his shirt, he wore his black wool coat.

"You look hawt!" Will said with a smile, "got a hot date?" He asked and Merlin flashed him his famous grin.

"Just going out to a club with Lance. You wanna come?"

"Nah," Will shook his head, "you know I hate those gay clubs." It was true and Merlin felt no offense by it. Will was more than ok with Merlin's sexuality but he had a hard time going to the clubs because in the gay community, Will was the sweet, innocent boy they all wanted to corrupt and they would hit on him mercilessly.

"Fair enough, although honestly, I don't think I'll have much luck with Lance. The crowd is going to devour him." Merlin said honestly and Will nodded his agreement. Lance was startlingly beautiful and had that kind of rugged handsomeness combined with the perfect boyish innocence that so many people were attracted to. Merlin thought he was attractive enough, but he was a little too gentle for his liking and he preferred men who were more rugged, strong and solid... like Arthur he thought and then mentally slapped himself.

"I have to work tomorrow," Will added.

"Right, I'm off! We should do something after work."

"Yea, totally." Will said with a smile. Just in time, Lance knocked on the door and Merlin said goodnight to Will and headed out with Lance.

"Lookin' good, Mer," Lance said with a grin, appraising him from the side.

"Thanks," Merlin blushed, "can't say the same about you though sadly." He teased and Lance laughed, pushing him gently.

The club was in south London, Lost Society and a bar that normally had a quiet bar atmosphere Monday through Thursday but that night they were having a special event which was the reason Lance brought Merlin.

"So, how does it work in a gay club?" Lance asked, shouting over the music as they made their way to the bar.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, giving him a weird look.

"Like, at a straight club when you want to pick someone up, you buy them a drink, dance with them, maybe have a bit of conversation and then a few hours later, you take her home," Lance explained and Merlin laughed.

"Well, that's pretty close to how we do things, although a lot of guys skip the whole buying you a drink thing and you just go fuck in the back room." Merlin said honestly, remembering his college days all too well. He smiled, those were some fun times.

"Oh ok," Lance nodded and managed to wave the bartender down. "I'll have ah um," he paused, not sure what to order besides beer.

"We'll get two black rum and cokes," Merlin ordered for him, rolling his eyes, "Lance have you ever been to a gay club before?" He asked and Lance shook his head.

"Never, I never had a reason to go."

"Well, relax!" Merlin said and lifted his arms up, moving his hips to the beat, "don't worry about running into anyone you know, I'm pretty sure I'm the only Nancy boy at work!" Lance rolled his eyes and paid for their drinks. Merlin took his and drank it all in one quick gulp and grabbed Lance's hand, pulling him onto the dance floor.

"Merlin!" Lance laughed, holding up his drink so he wouldn't spill and watching Merlin as his body moved in perfect time with the music. Lance danced with him, not nearly as well as Merlin, but well enough that soon each man had another man in front of him, dancing with him. The guy with Lance kept attempting to touch him until Lance finally shouted that he wasn't gay and was just here with his friend. With that the guy shrugged and continued to dance, giving Lance his space but still clearly not completely convinced Lance wasn't interested. Merlin however, was not holding anything back. The man who had come up behind him was everything he was looking for that night. He was a couple inches taller than him, shaggy blonde hair and so well muscled Merlin was pretty sure he could bench press him like he was nothing. He pressed his ass against his hips and grinded, moving them with the beat and reaching up behind him to grab the other's shoulders. Lance watched in slight fascination as Merlin and the stranger began making out on the floor and no one seemed to care. When the dancing started to get to the point of fucking with music to it, Lance took his leave and went back to the bar while Merlin disappeared into the bathroom.

He groaned loudly as the stranger pushed him up against the bathroom stall and kissed him hard. Merlin slid his hands down his muscled arms and over his bare chest.

"I'm Merlin," he gasped when the other moved his mouth down Merlin's curved jaw.

"Aaron," the other said, biting down on Merlin's neck teasingly and Merlin reached into his own back pocket and pulled out a condom.

"Safety first," he said with a cheeky grin and ripped the package open; Aaron grinned back and took the wrapper.

"Fuck," Merlin gasped when Aaron pushed into him, bending him over slight and Merlin gripped the back of the toilet. He closed his eyes, ignoring the fact that they were in a not so attractive place and let himself get lost in the pleasure of Aaron's body. He moaned loudly, thrusting his hips back in time with Aaron's. Aaron thrust into him hard and fast, not holding back and Merlin knew he would be sore in the morning. Merlin reached down and took his own cock in his hand, jerking himself and screaming as he came. The image of Arthur flashed through his mind and for a moment, he let himself pretend it was Arthur pulling out of his ass and coming instead of a complete stranger. They both stood still for a moment, panting in their orgasms.

"Thanks," Merlin said finally, straightening up and pulling his pants back up.

"No problem," Aaron laughed, watching Merlin as he pushed past him and walk out of the bathroom.

"Have fun?" Lance asked, eyebrows raised as Merlin walked over, his shirt in his hand and his body glistening with sweat.

"Ha, yes," Merlin grinned and ordered four shots and another rum and coke.

"So, I guess that's how it's done huh?"

"Yup," he patted Lance on the shoulder and leaned against the bar, wincing at the pain in his backside.

"Sore?"

"A tad,"

"Cheeky bugger," Lance laughed and shook his head.

Merlin and Lance spent the rest of the night dancing and laughing, pausing only to have a few more drinks and true to his promise; Lance was a perfect wing man. He got Merlin out on the dance floor, turned down any advances in his own direction and pointed them Merlin's way, and ensured Merlin stayed hydrated by compensating every drink with a glass of water. He also watched Merlin's drink on several occasions when Merlin went off to dance with someone.

Merlin let all his pent up sexual energy out into dancing and he did enjoy getting a few blow jobs in the bathroom as well over the course of the night. When it was finally time to go, Merlin's arms were covered in numbers that guys had written down on him since Merlin had no intention of sleeping with anyone else that night. He already felt a bit gross from the other guys, but not because he was ashamed of having a sex life, just simply because sex in a bathroom was never clean.

"Thank you," Merlin said, wrapping his arm around Lance in the cab on their way home. "I had a fantastic time," he said grinning ear to ear.

Lance laughed, "oh I know you did," he grinned. "Want to go home or feel like coming over and playing some drunken Call of Duty?"

"Oooh drunken Mario Kart!" Merlin said excitedly and Lance laughed.

"Sure, why not."

Lance and Merlin stumbled their way into Lance's townhouse in Soho.

"You live here?" Merlin asked, surprised but not sure why, "it's very nice." He said looking around the small entrance way. There was a staircase that lead upstairs when you first walked in the door and to the left was a living room. Down the hall was the kitchen, bathroom and a small office.

"Yes, I live here," Lance slurred and pulled Merlin's coat off. "Shoes off," he said pointing to Merlin's wet boots.

Merlin groaned in protest and bent over, jokingly pushing his ass up against Lance.

"Oh Lance!" He said in a mock sexy voice and let out a screech as Lance grabbed his hips and thrust hard against him, clearly joking.

"Merlin!" He yelled, laughing and nearly falling over, and Merlin did fall over, laughing and grabbing his ribs.

"Oh shit," he laughed, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"That bad huh?" Lance asked in mock horror which just made Merlin laugh even harder.

"Nah, I'd be lucky to have you fuck me Lance, I just think you got me too drunk!" Merlin said, managing to get to his feet only by holding onto the wall like his life depended on it. "Loo?"

"Down the hall, to the right," Lance pointed and stumbled into the living room, "I'll set up the game. Want some wine?"

"Yes!" Merlin shouted over his shoulder.

An hour and a bottle of Moscotto later, Merlin and Lance were passed out, sprawled across the living room while the Mario Kart theme played loudly on the TV. Merlin lay over the small love seat, his legs and arms dangling over the side while Lance had passed out on the larger couch and fallen to the floor in his sleep.

When Merlin woke up, his head was still spinning and he sat on the couch, his head in his hands as he moaned.

"Oh my god..." Lance cried as he woke up, "I feel like I have been run over by a fret truck."

"Uh huh," Merlin nodded and then winced, the movement making his stomach lurch dangerously.

"I have not been this hung over in... in... ever!" He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head and looking over at Merlin. Merlin looked over at him, his eyes red with sleep and dark circles surrounded his blue eyes. "You look like shit."

"Thanks!" Merlin scoffed and then moaned, rubbing his head. "I think I need to eat before I'm sick," he said and went to stand up but alcohol was still present in his blood and the room spun dangerously. "Or, I'll just sit here for a moment," he said, sitting back down.

"I'll get breakfast, you shower." Lance offered, "you smell like booze and sex and it's making me sick," he said honestly and Merlin sniffed himself which he immediately regretted.

"Right, I'll do that." He slowly stood up and made his way to the bathroom again. He stripped down and stepped into the hot water. As he washed off, he noticed several bruises and a few love marks on his neck and shoulders. He was careful not to wash off all the numbers on him, he distinctly remembered that a few them had been incredibly attractive. He was beyond exhausted but the tension that had built up in his body had finally been released and he relaxed into the steaming water.

Ten minutes later, he was dressed and walked into the kitchen, following the smell of bacon.

"Mmmm what are you making?" He asked and sat down at the table. Lance set a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Pancakes, bacon, toast, eggs and fruit."

"Damn, I'm spoiled," Merlin said with a grin and sipped his coffee.

"Don't get used to it! The moment I get a girlfriend, I'll be making _her_ breakfast." Lance said, giving Merlin a teasing look as he flipped a pancake.

"Last night was a lot of fun, sorry I um... kept disappearing." Merlin offered, hiding behind his cup of coffee slightly. "I'm not normally like that... just been awhile and well... you know." Lance chuckled.

"Don't worry about it Merlin, honestly! I'm glad you were able to blow off some steam."

"Next time, I'll be your wing man."

"It's a deal," Lance agreed and placed a couple pancakes, some scrambled eggs and toast on a plate and set it in front of Merlin.

"The last time I had a home cooked meal that I didn't cook myself was at my mother's eight months ago." Merlin said as he dived into the eggs hungrily.

"Do you get to see her often?"

"No," he shook his head, "going back for Christmas but I'm a little worried about her actually. She used to be really sick but she's been ok for the last year or so but," he shook his head, "something's off and I'm afraid that if she got sick again she wouldn't tell me."

"Doesn't want you to worry?"

Merlin shook his head, "no, she'd rather that I didn't know than have me leave my job and come home to take care of her."

"You know that if she were to get sick again, Arthur would give you the time you need off to take care of her." Lance informed him and Merlin smirked.

"Yea, right. This is the first real day off I've had since I started working for Arthur," he pointed out, "and I'm pretty sure that he's going to text me with some kind of crisis."

"He might act like an arrogant ass most of the time," Lance sat down beside Merlin, and poured syrup over his breakfast, "but he's a good man, I know you know that. If you just asked him, he would give you anything Merlin."

Merlin looked over at Lance, wondering at his words and why it seemed like there was a hidden meaning behind them.

"I'd rather not tell him anything," he said after awhile and Lance nodded and promised not to mention anything to him. They finished off their breakfast, talking easily about work, Lance's childhood and plans for their holidays. The large amount of starch soaked up the remaining alcohol and helped their hangover and soon, they both felt remotely human again.

"I should probably get home," Merlin said after awhile. They said their goodbyes, Merlin thanked Lance again for the night out and took a cab home.

"Morning," he said as he walked into an empty apartment before remembering that it was Friday morning and Will was at work. He stripped as he walked over to the couch and managed to pull on a pair of pajama bottoms before crashing on the couch. He was asleep within in minutes.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin woke up several hours later to his phone buzzing loudly on the coffee table. Tiredly, he reached over and answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Merlin where the hell are you?!" Arthur shouted and Merlin pulled the phone away from his ear, groaning his displeasure to hear Arthur's voice so loudly in his ear.

"I thought you said I had the day off," Merlin said.

"Were you sleeping? It's one in the afternoon!" Merlin rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

"I went out with Lance last night, just got home a couple hours ago and was enjoying a nice morning in bed until now," he said a bit annoyed but also interested in why his stomach suddenly had butterflies in them at hearing Arthur's voice.

"Oh... um," Merlin smiled as he could practically see Arthur standing there awkwardly, "did you have fun?"

"Yes...?"

"Did you... did you get lucky?" Arthur asked and Merlin bolted up, what the hell did Arthur just ask him?

"Yea..." Merlin said, unsure of what else to say and the line went completely silent. "Arthur?"

"Well good, glad you had a good time." Arthur finally said, his voice strangely curt.

"K... so... why are you calling me?" Merlin asked, his heart racing.

"Oh well, I," Arthur stammered and Merlin grinned in spite of himself, Arthur was flustered. "Forget it, it-it wasn't important." He said and hung up. Merlin looked down at the phone in his hand. What the hell?

o.O.o.O.o

Arthur set his phone down on his desk and let out a shaky breath. He couldn't explain it but when he heard Merlin had gone out last night, he had been jealous and to know that Merlin had slept with someone... He gulped and shook his head. He was obviously going insane and just needed to spend a day away from the dark haired man. He smiled as the image of Merlin flashed in his mind, dark hair, baby blue eyes and lips so perfect for kissing.

"What the fuck?" Arthur said out loud to no one and gave himself a little slap. He would _not_ think of Merlin that way, not ever.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you everyone for taking the time to review! I really appreciate it! I'm glad to know you are all enjoying it. I'll let you know it will be a bit of time before Arthur and Merlin get together, but creating that bond and tension is half the fun of writing it! The next little bit I'm going to skip some time pretty soon, one more small chapter and then skipping to April.

Chapter Six

Arthur kept Merlin busy with tasks that kept him out of the office or at least, away from him. It was so obviously that Arthur wanted Merlin out of his way that Merlin decided that he had clearly imagined Arthur's reaction to Merlin's night out with Lance.

"Is there anything I can get you before I leave?" Merlin asked, poking his head into Arthur's office. It was December twenty third and Merlin was leaving in an hour for the airport to take him home to Ealdor.

"No," Arthur said, "that will be everything."

"Alright, well Happy Christmas Arthur and I'll see you in the new year." Merlin said and closed the door before Arthur could say anything. He couldn't explain it, but he was slightly annoyed with the way Arthur had been acting, as if he wanted nothing to do with him. He decided to ignore it though for the time being, and focus his attention on his favorite holiday.

Christmas had been his and his mother's favorite holiday and they spent the weeks leading up to it baking and decorating the house. They never had much money, especially for presents, so instead they made homemade decorations to make the house festive and spent what little money they had on a special dinner. Now that Merlin was working a decent job (well, decent in the way of pay, Arthur was still unbearable most days) he had set aside money specifically for Christmas. He wanted to spoil his mother and had bought her several gifts and taken the entire holiday off and would be home for the New Year as well.

"Ready?" Will asked when Merlin walked outside. Rebecca had offered to drive them to the airport and they had packed up the car with all of Merlin's bags as well as Will's.

"Yup!" Merlin grinned and got in the backseat. "Thanks again Becca for driving us," he said when they pulled away from the car.

"My pleasure," she said sweetly from the front.

The trip home was short, the flight was only just over an hour and the drive from Dublin to Ealdor was just under an hour south. In what seemed like was a blink of an eye, Merlin was standing on the porch of his childhood home, knocking on the door.

"Merlin!" Hunith shouted happily when she opened the door.

"Hello Mother," Merlin grinned and pulled her into a hug. Immediately, he could feel how much weight she had lost and he pulled away, "mother..." he searched her face for some kind of answer but she only smiled up at him and cupped her cheek to his hand.

"Come in, get you things, and hurry up. You're letting a chill in!" She instructed and Merlin quickly did as he was told. He took his bags to the back of the house where his little room remained the same as it had when he left four years ago. He put his things away and brought out the gifts he had for her and laid them out under the tree.

"You shouldn't have spent your money on gifts," Hunith chided and Merlin just smiled over at her.

"I would happily spend all my money on you Mother," he informed her and she clucked her tongue.

"How was your journey? Did Will come back with ya?"

"It was fine, and yes, he's staying with his sister for tomorrow and then going back to England to be with Rebecca's family on Christmas." Merlin sat down at the rickety table that was so familiar in its many imperfections.

"Oh good," she said and walked slowly to the stove where the kettle was beginning to whistle.

"Why don't you sit down and let me do that?" Merlin offered, standing up and going over to her.

"No, no I got it," she protested but as Merlin drew closer, he saw her hands were shaking and her lips drawn tight in pain.

"No..." Merlin shook his head and looked at her. Hunith couldn't look up at her son and just stood still as he took her hands in his and kissed them, "has it come back?" She nodded silently and Merlin let out a small cry.

"Merlin," his mother quickly looked up at him and brushed away the tears that had run down his cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, torn between being furious with her for lying to him about being in good health and being sick with worry.

"I didn't want you to worry," she said as he guided her to her chair and helped her sit, "it," she paused, her face paling as the motion of sitting caused pain to shoot across her body, "it wasn't that bad and you were working so hard. I couldn't let you leave your job and come back here."

"_Mother_" Merlin groaned in annoyance, "You should have told me! Who's been looking after you? How are you making it to your treatments?" He asked and his mother looked at him with a look that made his blood go cold.

"I'm not having any more treatments," she said and held up her hand as Merlin immediately began to protest, "now listen Merlin, I have done the treatments and beat this thing before but the cost was too much. I don't have that strength anymore, I couldn't make it through it and I don't want to spend the rest of my time leaning over a toilet wishing I would die." Merlin looked away, his lip trembling as he is mother's words sank in.

"You'll die without them," he said, his voice thick.

"I think we both know I'm not going to make it with or without them." She said gently, clasping his hand weakly.

"You don't know that," he shook his head and looked at her; "you could have another few years." Even as he said the words, his mother was shaking her head.

"No Merlin, it's not like it was last time, the cancer is a lot worse and has spread all over my body," she explained gently and Merlin felt a sob escape his throat. He felt as if the breath was being ripped from his lungs. "It's going to be ok," she whispered, pulling Merlin into her arms, "we're going to have a lovely Christmas and we're going to count in the new year together and then you're going to go back-"

Merlin shook his head violently, "no I'm not going back-"

"You are going to go back," she said, her voice surprisingly strong, "and you are going to work and Mrs. O'Conner is going to look after me."

Merlin opened his mouth to protest but she put her finger over his mouth and shook her head, "you're going to listen to your mother now Merlin, and do what you're told." He nodded and gulped back his tears. He kissed her cheeks and then her hands before standing up and going back to the stove. He stood for a moment; shoulders slumped as he leaned on the stove, staring into the kettle. It wasn't fair, it was so unfair. He drew in a deep breath and forced himself to compose himself before turning around and pouring the hot water into the two cups that sat waiting for the water. He smiled at his mom and went over to the little stereo they kept in the living room and put in the CD of their mixed favorite Christmas songs.

"I love this song," Hunith said with a smile as Dean Martin's Let it Snow began to play.

"I know," Merlin said, she said the same thing every year. He sat down at the table again and they drank their tea in silence while Hunith studied her son.

"Tell me about work," She said after awhile and Merlin drew in a deep breath.

"Well, not much to tell really." He said with a shrug.

"Tisk!" Hunith clucked her tongue, "I doubt that! Tell me about Arthur; is he as horrible as you feared he would be? Will seems to think so."

"Will hates everyone I work with, whether they deserve it or not." Merlin pointed out, "and Arthur... he doesn't really deserve it. He's an ass for sure-"

"You shouldn't talk about your boss like that," Hunith immediately scolded and Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I tell him he's an ass on a daily basis," he pointed out and laughed at the look of horror on her face. "And he calls me an idiot every day, it's our thing." Merlin said, suddenly smiling and looking into his tea, unable to meet his mother's eyes.

"Is it?" She asked and Merlin immediately regretted what he said.

"Well, I don't know," Merlin shrugged, "I can never tell if he actually really does hate me or not. Lance seems to think he doesn't."

"Who's Lance?" She asked, resting her chin in her hand.

"Lance is a friend from work; he's head of the financial department and a friend of Arthur's. I've started to spend a lot of time with him lately."

"Oh really?"

"Not like that mum," Merlin blushed, "he's just a friend, a very, very straight friend" he added for good measure, "besides, I'm hoping to introduce him to another friend of mine, Gwen."

"She another co-worker?"

"No, she used to be a client. Arthur bought her family store but had her keep running it and so I spent a lot of time with her and then afterwards, we started hanging out. She's a nice girl and I think Lance would be a good match."

"So, you're taking up match making now too?" His mother teased.

"No, just them," Merlin smiled sheepishly.

"What about you? Anyone special back in London?"

"No, I don't have time for anyone else. Arthur takes way too much work," Merlin said, unable to stop himself from smiling at the mention of Arthur and wanting to kick himself. What was wrong with him?

"Uh huh, so I repeat no one _special_ at Camelot?" She repeated and Merlin gave her an impatient look.

"I do not have feelings for Arthur, he's my _boss_" he hissed and she rolled her eyes.

"Do you think things like that really matter?" She asked, leaning forward, "do you think any feelings will take the fact he's your boss into account? Hardly! You can't control your feelings any more than you can control your heart beating."

"I know that, but I don't have feelings for him. I'll admit that he's attractive and given the chance, I would sleep with him if I didn't have to deal with the consequences," he ignored his mother's glare of disapproval, "but I don't love him and he certainly doesn't love me! He's straighter than an arrow."

"Well make me a promise Merlin," his mother said, "promise me you will not work so hard that you don't have time to fall in love. Love is a precious thing Merlin, and I do not want you to live your life without it." She urged him, her eyes filling with tears and Merlin held her hand tightly.

"I promise you mother, when the right man comes into my life, I won't let him go." He said and she grinned.

"Good," she said with a sigh, "now I'm rather tired and would like to go to bed. You should get some sleep, you look exhausted too."

"I will," Merlin stood up and helped his mom to her bedroom that was just a few feet from his own. When she was safely tucked into bed, he went back to the kitchen and did the dishes that had piled up. He knew how much she hated dirty dishes and knew that she must be really sick if she didn't have the energy to wash the dishes. It was something she always tried to do, even when she was sick last time, he would have to physically pull her away from the sink to get her stop. He sniffed as the tears started falling again, mixing in with the dish water. Unable to stop himself and not wanting to have her hear him, he slipped outside into the backyard and climbed up into the tree house he had always retreated to as a child. It was too small for him now, and he nearly filled the entire house as he sat down but he didn't care. He gave way to the grief that was overwhelming him and buried his face in his hands as his shoulders shook with his sobs.

o.O.o.O.o

If Hunith had heard Merlin last night, she said nothing about it the next day and Merlin was glad. Neither of them spoke about her illness as Merlin made breakfast, no one wanted to dwell on such a dark topic. Merlin said noting while he held her hair back an hour later while she threw up breakfast. Hunith would hear nothing of her illness and instead, she questioned Merlin about every aspect of his life. While they made cookies that neither wanted but both needed to make for the sake of tradition and sanity, Merlin told her stories about his coworkers, Will, and most of all, Arthur. Hunith knew that there was something there with Arthur, but she wouldn't press her son and she was pretty sure Merlin was oblivious to how he felt anyway. She hoped that he would realize it soon; she wanted to see him in love before she went. He'd never had a true love before. Of course, he'd had a couple boyfriends in the past, but Hunith knew that none of them had managed to capture her son's heart. She watched him as he strong popcorn and berries, making a strand of garland for their tree.

Merlin had changed, she had noticed it right away but she wasn't sure what it was. It was such a subtle shift in him it was almost unnoticeable. As she listened to him though, she noticed the way his eyes brightened as he spoke about Arthur and when he ranted about all the things he did to make Merlin crazy, she saw the smile he wasn't even aware he had. She had never seen Merlin talk about someone like this before. She remembered seeing Arthur once, several years ago when Camelot was buying the local factory and he had come to the diner she worked at. He was a startlingly attractive young man but there was a coldness that had made him seem less attractive in Hunith's opinion. She wondered if he had changed or if Merlin was just seeing something else no one else could. She worries about Merlin all the time and more so now that she knew she wouldn't around much longer.

Merlin had never met his father; Hunith had never lied to him about him though. He was a good man that went missing four months before Merlin was born. Neighbours talked, like they always do, saying that he had run off on Hunith but she never believed that. She knew only something really terrible could have ever kept him away from his family. However, people still talked and Merlin grew up hearing the rumors. He was furiously protective of Hunith, which she loved and hated at the same time. When she found out that she had breast cancer, telling Merlin had broken her heart. He always tried so hard to protect her from everything and he had looked so lost and helpless. He had been her reason to fight, he was always her reason. Merlin was only sixteen when she was first diagnosed, just a child and she was determined to get better to see him off to college. After a year of torturous treatments, they had defeated it and Merlin went off to Oxford. She had been so proud of him, she was always proud of him.

But Merlin was a closed book; he always was secretive, even as a child. He never let people know what he was thinking or feeling, he was always drawing them in with his lazy grin and easy charm. But he never let anyone in. He could get anyone to tell him anything, that's just the kind of guy he was. Everyone knew they could trust Merlin to keep their secrets and be there for them anywhere, any time, but no one ever heard his secrets. IT wasn't because no one really cared, but Merlin was able to turn around the conversation without answering anything about himself. He'd always been everyone's friend but only Will had ever been _his_ friend. Hunith always worried that he was incredibly lonely and just never said anything. Now Merlin talked about Lance and Hunith was grateful that Merlin had someone else in his life. The way he talked about Arthur, it was clear that he cared about him and Hunith wouldn't have been surprised if Arthur cared about Merlin too.

She smiled sweetly over at her son, wishing that she would live long enough to see him happy and married. At noon, Merlin made them a small lunch of soup and toast, trying to keep it simple so not to upset her stomach. She had missed him so much and to have him here now at this beautiful time of year was everything to her. When she became too tired to sit up and visit anymore, he walked her to the couch and read her The Chronicles of Narnia. It had been his favorite book as a child and she had read it to him every night. On a really bad night later on when she had become very sick, Merlin had curled up with her and read it. Ever since, it became their story and he would read it to her when she fell ill and vice versa. She closed her eyes and smiled, drifting off to sleep listening to Merlin's voice.


	7. Chapter 7

Ok so this is a super short chapter, but I want to move things along so I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed! The next few chapters are probably going to come out pretty quickly since I've already written them and just need to do some editing :D Again, thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! No idea how what it means to me that people are actually reading this and enjoying it!

Chapter Seven

On February eighteenth, Merlin got a phone call at three am from Mrs. O'Conner saying that Hunith had passed away in her sleep. Merlin sat on the couch, completely frozen in shock until Will came out, having also been called by Mrs. O'Conner.

"Merlin," he whispered and Merlin looked up at his old friend, the hole in his heart swallowing everything. Will held him as he cried, saying nothing because there was nothing that could possibly be said. After a couple hours, Merlin had cried himself to sleep and Will stayed with him, calling his work to let them know he wouldn't be coming. He debated calling Arthur to tell him but he couldn't bring himself to speak to him so instead, he found Lance's number in Merlin's phone and called him. He explained what had happened and said that Merlin wouldn't be coming in that day and he would probably need a few days off. Lance promise to take care of it.

When Merlin woke up, he was angry with Will for not waking him up for work but Will wasn't bothered, he knew he just needed something else to feel besides grief. Will was surprised though when Merlin went into work the next day. He couldn't believe that Merlin wasn't rushing back to Ealdor to take care of things and Merlin sensed his disapproval but he didn't have the energy to care. He tried to explain it to Will but he wasn't able to find the right words. He felt himself withering inside, like a mimosa plant curling in on itself. The distance between him and Will had become too great and he no longer knew how to talk to him so instead, he retreated within himself like he always did. He couldn't just disappear from work, so instead he planned on going in on the Thursday and he would take Friday and the weekend off to go back to Ealdor for the funeral. Mrs. O'Conner was taking care of some of the preparations and Merlin was incredibly grateful.

"Merlin, what are you doing here?" Lance said when he stepped on the elevator to find Merlin inside.

"I needed to come in today, get things together for tomorrow before I go." Merlin explained, "Lance—please don't tell Arthur what's happened," he said suddenly. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want Arthur to know. He tried to tell himself it was because he didn't think Arthur would care at all but the truth was that he felt like if he had to actually tell Arthur that his mother had died that it would become too real and he would never be able to put himself back together again.

"Um, ok," Lance said, frowning, "Merlin you should tell him, he'll understand."

"No, it's ok. I don't want him to know." He shook his head firmly and folded his arms around himself. When the elevator stopped, Merlin quickly darted out and went to his desk where he dumped his coat and bag. He quickly went and made coffee and walked into Arthur's office.

"Good morning," Merlin said, somehow managing to smile for Arthur.

"Well it's about time you got here, where the hell were you yesterday?" Arthur snapped and snatched the coffee from Merlin, grimacing at it as he sipped it.

"I took a personal day and I'm taking another one tomorrow." Merlin said easily and Arthur looked up at him, looking him up and down as if trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

"Why?" He finally asked.

"It's personal," he responded and Arthur snorted.

"Honestly I'm surprised you have any kind of a personal life _Mer_lin," Arthur teased and Merlin bit back his tongue. He would not get angry with Arthur for being himself; it wasn't his fault that Merlin was being weird with not telling him. Instead, he got straight to work and the day went by in a blur.

Friday morning, Will and Merlin returned once again to Ealdor, walking into Merlin's childhood home and Merlin felt sick to his stomach. It was wrong, so wrong, he thought as he stood in the hallway. It was too quiet, too still and empty. The sudden hollowness of the house made Merlin feel like he couldn't breathe and he gasped for air.

"I can't stay here," he gasped and pushed past Will and ran outside, gulping down the cold air. Will came up beside him and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Ok," was all he had to say. They stayed at a hotel, Merlin didn't want to stay with Will's sister, he feared he would always end up associating her with his mother's death and he didn't want that. So instead, he picked a place that held no emotional strings and a place he would be able to not care about later. The funeral was on Saturday and Merlin managed to give the eulogy without breaking down, he felt like there were no tears left. As he watched her body being lowered into the ground, he felt empty, like everything else had been carved out of him and he stood there, a shell of himself.

In accordance to her will, a tree was planted over her grave instead of a tombstone. She had loved all of nature in life; she wanted to be surrounded by it in death as well. He planted an oak tree, a traditional Celtic tree to symbolise wisdom and strength, purity and power, a sign of a beautiful spirit. His mother was all of those things, he thought and it only seemed appropriate that it should be an oak tree that she gave life to in her death.

Sunday was spent going through Hunith's affairs. She had left the house to Merlin but he didn't know what he wanted to do with it and Will thought it wouldn't be good for him to make any big decisions about it at the time. So instead, they just went through the very few processions that his mother had and boxed way the things that he wanted to keep—like her favorite quilt, the snow globe of Paris that his father had given her, and her tea kettle. The rest was packed away and donated to a local shelter; she wouldn't have wanted Merlin to hold onto everything. He kept only the few things that meant something to her but he was an only child and there was no other family to give anything to so he ended up with several boxes that he wanted to hold onto. He would leave them at the house though until he decided what to do and only returned to London with the quilt, snow globe and kettle.

Merlin returned to work on Monday, he was quieter than usual but since no one knew what was going on, they just passed it off as him being tired. By Wednesday, Arthur was going out of his mind. Merlin was so agreeable and quiet that it just wasn't right.

"Merlin," Arthur said, finally having had enough, "what's wrong?" Merlin looked up from his tablet in surprise.

"What do you mean?" He asked and Arthur wondered at the expression that crossed his face. He stared at those baby blue eyes and felt his stomach lurch. Merlin was looking at him with such a vulnerable expression, his eyes filled with some unknown pain and Arthur had to keep himself from crossing over the desk and pulling him into his arms.

"Something has happened..." Arthur said gently and instantly, the walls were back up in Merlin's eyes and Arthur wondered why he always seemed so guarded.

"Nothing," Merlin lied, Arthur knew he was lying but he didn't know why. It wasn't like Merlin couldn't talk to him. He knew he wasn't very good with words, or emotions and he especially wasn't good when it came to words about emotions, but still, it was Merlin. Surely if something was wrong, Merlin would tell him. He never kept anything to himself, he was always telling Arthur off about something so Arthur let it go. If Merlin wanted to tell him, he would, he had no idea that Merlin couldn't tell him.

o.O.o.O.o

"Merlin stop!" Will shouted and Merlin looked at him with those cold eyes that had replaced the warm, loving ones he had grown up with.

"I'm not doing anything," Merlin said, his voice hollow which just made Will even angrier. What had happened to his friend? He didn't recognize the person in front of him at all anymore.

"Exactly! You're not doing anything except working! When was the last time you went out for a hike or for a bike trip? When was the last time you did anything for yourself?" Will asked. It had been a month since his mother had died and Merlin did nothing but eat, sleep and work. He was terrified for his friend and Merlin didn't seem to get that.

"I do, do stuff for myself!" Merlin shouted back, "I still read, I still bike, it's winter Will! I can't exactly go kayaking when it's freezing outside."

"Arg," Will ran his hands through his hair, frustrated, "I don't even know who you are anymore."

"I don't get why you keep saying that!" Merlin growled, angry with Will for always being mad at him, "why won't you just forgive me for working at Camelot and get over it?! I work at Camelot, so fucking what!"

"This isn't about your job Merlin!"

"Then what the fuck is it about Will?" He spat and Will sighed and just shook his head.

"It's about who you're changing into. You've gotten cold Merlin, cold and emotionless and I don't know how to help you."

"I'm not asking for your help Will," it wasn't like he had no idea what Will was talking about, he was right. Merlin had grown colder and distant since Hunith died but he didn't know what else he could have done. Feeling the loss was just too much, he couldn't bear it and the only thing that was getting him through the day was work. He wouldn't admit that it was really Arthur that was keeping him sane. Arthur still didn't know but that was ok, just having the steadiness and predictability that was Arthur was all that Merlin craved. He knew where he stood with Arthur, there were no demands for him to become emotionally invested in what they were doing, Arthur never asked for his feelings about something. It was refreshing to be able to just relax and not be looked at with the pity that Will had in his eyes.

"I promised her I would look after you but I don't know what else to do. You don't talk to me anymore, you're working yourself to death and I can't watch it."

"Then don't," Merlin said simply and he was surprised by the coldness in his own voice. He hadn't meant to sound that cruel and he immediately wished he could take it back but something held him back. They stared at each other, Will waiting for Merlin to tell him not to actually go and Merlin fighting with himself until finally it was clear that Merlin wasn't going to say anything. So Will turned away, packed up a bag and left. Something was broken in their friendship and Merlin was pretty sure that there was no way he could fix it.

The next day when Merlin got home, Will had moved all of his things out of the flat and left a note saying he'd moved in with Rebecca and to call him when he was ready to talk. Merlin stood in the kitchen, looking at the note and felt himself wither again, curling in on himself all over.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

For the next three weeks Merlin threw himself into work. He wanted to forget about the fight with Will and the horrible aching loneliness that threaten to consume him. Everyone was gone now. His mum and now Will. The only person left in his life was Arthur and he was pretty sure that Arthur hardly even noticed him. So he worked twice as hard, twice as long and generally kept himself too busy and too exhausted to notice the ache inside. There were good things of course about work, Morgana was back from LA and so he got to see her sometimes at the office. And of course, when Lance was around, he always managed to convince Arthur to give him a proper lunch hour where Merlin either met up with Gwen or had lunch with Lance, sometimes the both of them (he had introduced them a week ago and the two had immediately hit it off). But those times were becoming more and more rare as Uther added projects to their already numerous assignments. Merlin couldn't remember the last time he hadn't fallen asleep reading contracts or management proposals that Arthur didn't want to go through. Thankfully though, Merlin and Arthur had finally fallen into a good routine. Every morning Merlin brought him coffee in which Arthur immediately found some fault with. They would bicker for a bit, usually about Arthur's disapproval of Merlin's clothes, the coffee, or his hair and then he'd give him a list of things to do and they would go their separate ways until noon.

At lunch and afterwards, they would have their meetings, review proposals, and on more than one occasion, Arthur actually listened and accepted Merlin's opinion.

The winter was finally coming to an end and signs of an early spring finally started to show as Merlin headed into the office. It finally stopped raining and he was in a foul mood for having to spend the whole day inside, especially on his birthday. Maybe he could convince Arthur do their work in the park. He snorted at the idea of Arthur at a picnic. He'd get grass stains all over his Prada shoes. That alone was a good enough reason for Merlin to want to bring him outside.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked down the dark corridor, turning on lights as he went. It was 6:30 am and no one was in yet but it wasn't unusual for him to be the first one in, especially lately. Sighing, he pulled his bag off his shoulder and set it on his desk. He pushed open Arthur's office door and nearly jumped out of his skin, and produced a most girly scream at the site of Arthur standing right in front of him.

"Blimey Arthur!" Merlin panted, putting his hand on his chest, attempting to keep it in. Arthur smacked him teasingly upside the head.

"_Mer_lin, you _idiot_! You nearly ran me down! What are you doing in this early?" He growled, pulling him into the office.

"I'm always in at this time you prat!" Merlin snapped back.

"Well it doesn't show in the quality of coffee you make. You'd think with two hours you'd be able to go get a decent coffee." He grumped as Merlin went to make the coffee.

"If you don't like my coffee, _sir_, you're welcome to get it yourself-oh wait, you can't because you couldn't possibly do anything yourself." Merlin teased and smiled as he saw Arthur grin out of the corner of his eye. Just seeing Arthur's smile made his stomach flip.

"Well I'm glad you're here, I need you to go over these faxes before I send them out." Arthur said distractedly and handed the papers to him.

"K," Merlin sighed. He always looked forward to the hour he usually got to himself before Arthur came in and dumped a loud of work on his desk.

"Oh and Merlin," Arthur said just as he was about to leave, "there's a meeting tonight at the Garden, I'll need you there."

"What time?"

"Six, we'll go over together but Merlin, for god's sake please wear a suit!"

"I'll need to stop at my place then before we go."

"Fine, fine-go home at five today and I'll pick you up at six."

"Ok, I'll email you my address."

"That won't be necessary." Arthur said and dismissed him with the flick of his hand.

Weird, Merlin thought, Arthur knew where he lived? He had mentioned it once, several months ago. Was it possible that Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Prats actually not only had paid attention, but remembered what Merlin had said?

The very idea made Merlin's head spin. Hell would freeze over long before Arthur ever actually gave a crap about his personal life.

The day flew by. Merlin hardly had time to even go to the bathroom Arthur kept him so busy. It wasn't even important things but actual errands-pick up his groceries and drop them at his flat, drop off and pick up his dry cleaning, get him a 'proper' cup of coffee from Starbucks, (which Arthur immediately mocked him for getting himself a vanilla bean frap). He spent the majority of his day in cabs, waiting in lines and answering the constant phone calls. It all went by so fast that Erin had to remind Merlin to get out at 5 before Arthur saw him and gave him more work.

He biked home in a rush and stumbled into the shower. He spent twenty minutes having the hot water run down his lean body, attempting to wash away the stress of the day.

He found his suit tucked away in his closet and gulped. The last time he'd worn it was to his mother's funeral. Biting back the pain, he dressed, ran a comb through his hair and was about to stop to make himself a drink when a loud knock sounded at the door.

Bloody hell, Arthur was early. Merlin opened the door and looked up at his handsome boss. He was wearing the suit Merlin had dropped off earlier. It was a deep black with a dark crimson shirt that stood out against it. He was adjusting his cufflinks as he looked up at Merlin and froze.

"Merlin..." he whispered, looking him up and down, Arthur's heart skipped a beat. Merlin was wearing a black suit with a black shirt and, he noticed with amusement, a red cravat.

"Arthur?" Merlin felt his knees buckle under his gaze. Arthur had never looked at him like this before... as if he was really seeing him for not his assistant but an attractive man.

"Finally," Arthur managed to find his voice again, "you're dressed in a proper suit!" Merlin smiled his goofy smile and stuck his chin out just slightly.

"Well don't get used to it! It's the only one I have." He grabbed his tablet, keys and wallet and locked up his flat.

"You can't be serious Merlin. You need at least three good suits." Arthur informed him, clearly disapproving of Merlin's clothing selection yet again.

"Hmm well maybe if someone gave me a raise, I could afford it!" He responded smartly and Arthur laughed.

"You need to actually deserve a raise for me to give you one."

Marlin glared, "you know you couldn't function without me." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Get in the car Merlin." He watched him get in the passenger seat and tried to look at Merlin without him noticing. His hair was still wet and stuck out everywhere, falling in his eyes and Arthur had to resist the urge to brush it from his forehead. He looked good, really good actually. And that cravat... it reminded him of his neckerchiefs he'd wear but better. It made his lips even more delicious-_wait, what_-? Arthur thought with a start. Did he really just think of Merlin as delicious... as beautiful? He shook his head to clear it. He'd often thought of some men as attractive but he'd never paid attention to Merlin like that. In fact, he often thought of Merlin as a eunuch and completely sexless. It wasn't because he was unattractive in any way but because he was just so... Merlin. He was clumsy and forgetful and so incredibly aggravating. Well, that view of him was bound to change since Merlin had been working for him for seven months and Arthur had to admit (to himself but never anyone else) that he really did depend on Merlin. The boy might be a complete idiot but he had become _his_ idiot. And if he were being honest with himself, which he tried to avoid, he enjoyed having Merlin around. He made him laugh and he just seemed to make things... better somehow.

He sighed and glanced at Merlin and shook his head.

"What?"

"You're an idiot, you know that right?"

"Mmhmm and you are a big clot pole." Merlin replied with a smirk and Arthur laughed.

They arrived at the restaurant and Arthur led Merlin through to the back where three tables had been pulled together.

Uther sat at the head, of course, and beside him Nimueh and Morgause on either side of him. Leon, Percy and Morgana sat across from Lance and two empty seats where Merlin and Arthur sat. He immediately noticed the server lack of other assistants and how everyone was watching him.

"Are you sure I'm supposed to be here?" He whispered nervously to Arthur.

"Of course, I might need you to answer my phone."

Merlin rolled his eyes and sighed, absolutely useless.

"I see you've brought your assistant Arthur..." Uther said, his voice dripping with disapproval.

"Yes, I'm waiting for a call from LA, they said they'd call in the afternoon their time. Forgive me," Arthur lied and Merlin frowned. Why did he bring him if he wasn't actually invited? Merlin shifted in his seat uncomfortably and Lance smiled weakly at him.

"Hey Mer, alright?" He asked, shaking Merlin's hand.

"Good, you?" He was relieved that Lance was there, it was good to have someone there that he felt comfortable with. Although he did feel comfortable with the rest of the guys, but with them this was still a work thing and they seemed to keep a strict distance between work life and personal life.

"God, glad you're here! These dinners are always so boring. Morgana and Arthur get all weird 'cus Uther's here." Lance whispered.

"Don't you just mean Morgana? Arthur always acts like he has a stick up his ass." Merlin and Lance laughed and Arthur eyed them suspiciously.

The evening went smoothly and in fact was not even a work dinner at all. Uther had simply wanted them to get together to check in but informally and the dinner turned out to be a more social gathering rather than a board meeting (which confused Merlin even more why he'd been brought here). Uther left shortly after they finished eating and Nimueh and Morgause left in a rush after and the atmosphere quickly changed to a more relaxed, friends having drinks together. The phone never rang, as Merlin knew it wouldn't-he had set up the voicemail before he left work and he quickly started feeling more comfortable. Morgana showed Arthur no mercy after Uther left, pointing out that he clearly just wanted Merlin's company. Of course Arthur denied it until he was blue in the face and finally stalked off to the bar with Percy and Leon.

"You know he really does like you," Morgana said as he left. The waiter came by and dropped off their drinks. Merlin reluctantly took his fourth drink; his head was starting to spin.

"I think you've had too much to drink Morg," Merlin hissed, "Arthur finds me as interesting as a bag of bricks... less even!" Lance laughed and Morgana rolled her eyes.

"You can't really be that blind can you? Honestly Merlin, Arthur has never brought anyone to one of these meetings before." She informed him with a knowing smirk.

"It's true. And he trusts you too," Lance added, "I've never seen him give an assistant the amount of power he's given you."

Merlin nearly spit out his drink he laughed so hard.

"Power? What power? I'm practically his slave!" Lance and Morgana both shook their heads.

"Lance is right. He not only has you check contracts and proposals but he actually depends on your opinion and help with them. The most difficult task he trusted his last assistant with was just faxing them."

"Not even that sometimes!" Lance reminisced and Morgana nodded.

"He also stood up for you to Uther." Merlin looked at them both with renewed confusion. "About the Andrew's contract." Morgana explained, "He told Uther it was his fault the papers didn't get sent, that he forgot to give them to you."

"But... that's not true." Merlin gasped and looked over at Arthur who was sitting at the bar talking to Leon intensely.

"I know," Morgana grinned, "he cares about you Merlin, even if he doesn't show it. You're more than just his assistant."

"I think you're the closest thing he's had to a best friend in a long time." Lance added quietly. It was true that Arthur wasn't really close to anyone at work and Merlin knew he didn't have any relationships outside of the office but he never would have thought Arthur considered him a friend.

Confused, Merlin shot back his drink and ordered another one. He didn't want to think about this, it was too confusing.

Pretty soon, Merlin was laughing loudly and by the time Arthur was ready to leave, Merlin was nearly in Lance's lap. He had his arm around him and was currently petting his face telling him he needed to shave because he looked like a bear. Morgana and Lance were both nearly pissing themselves they were laughing so hard and enjoying drunken Merlin.

"_Mer_lin you idiot!" Arthur groaned as he pulled Merlin to his feet.

"Arthur!" Merlin grinned, a goofy drunk look hazing his eyes.

"You're drunk." Arthur chided and Merlin giggled.

"Oops! Lance's fault! It's Lance's fault, he said I had... I had to drink like a board member." Merlin tried to explain. He hadn't intended to get drunk and he had a sneaking suspicion that Lance and Morgana had planned it.

"I'm taking you home before you embarrass yourself further," He said and glared at Morgana.

"Oh but we're having so much fun!" Morgana protested. She herself was feeling quit dizzy.

"Don't encourage him, you should be ashamed of yourselves," Arthur scolded. He knew that they had wanted to get Merlin drunk, why he didn't know, but for whatever reason, he didn't like it. Again, he felt stupidly protective of his little assistant and it annoyed him to no end. He dragged a stumbling Merlin out, despite Merlin's many protests that he was perfectly fine. He poured him into the car and got into the driver's seat. Unlike everyone else who took a cab, he had nursed two drinks through dinner and the rest of the evening. Merlin leaned his head against the glass and closed his eyes. The world was spinning too fast.

"Don't fall asleep," Arthur grumbled and flicked Merlin's ear.

"Ow!" He whined and grabbed his now red ear. "That hurt! You're such a... a git!" Merlin slurred and Arthur snickered.

They arrived at Merlin's flat with no further injuries and Arthur pulled him out of the car.

"God Merlin, walk!" He instructed and Merlin slumped against him.

"Carry me, Prince of Prats!" Merlin shouted and Arthur groaned.

"No," he protested and Merlin decided he wasn't going to walk at all and if Arthur wouldn't carry him, he'd just sit right there on the sidewalk. _"Mer_lin" Arthur hissed and finally bent down, "fine, climb on my back you stupid monkey."

"Yes!" Merlin grinned and clambered onto his back with surprising speed.

"Don't choke me!" Arthur gasped, prying Merlin's arms from his throat. He was surprised how light he was. He knew he was thin but Merlin was also tall and he thought that would have given him more weight but he'd been wrong. Up the stairs, Arthur carried Merlin and then fumbled in Merlin's pants pocket for his keys. He had to try very hard not to cop a feel, that wouldn't have been ok in any way. Merlin slumped on his shoulder and Arthur pushed open the door only to immediately trip over Merlin's bike and send them both crashing to the floor.

"Fuck!' Arthur groaned as Merlin laughed hysterically, "Jesus Merlin!" He managed to get to his feet, laughing quietly too as he turned on the light. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise.

Merlin's flat was so incredibly small, Arthur wondered if his office was bigger. He could see everything from where he stood which was the kitchen. He hadn't paid attention when he'd picked Merlin up earlier that evening. The kitchen and living room were one small room, littered with books, clothes, dishes and discarded take out boxes. The bedroom was to the right and it was clear that the double bed was the only thing that fit.

"I thought you said you had a roommate?" Arthur said as he peeled Merlin off the floor.

"He moved out. We had a fight and he moved in with his girlfriend." Merlin explained, wishing Arthur wouldn't ask him anything else about Will. It hurt too much to think about him. Merlin stumbled to the fridge and grabbed the Chinese takeout box.

"But... how did two people fit in here?" Arthur asked in amazement and slight horror.

"I had the living room, Will took the bedroom." Merlin said around a mouthful of dumplings.

"Want a drink?" Merlin asked, setting the Chinese down and grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge.

"Uh..." Arthur didn't get a chance to protest as he shoved a glass into his hand.

"Cheers!" Merlin grinned and clinked the bottle to his glass and promptly took a swig straight from the bottle.

"Merlin... are you... alright?" Arthur asked gently after sipping the too sweet wine.

"Of course! We're celebrating!" Merlin grinned and Arthur frowned.

"What are we celebrating?"

"It's my birthday Arthur... but of course you wouldn't know that or care." He said with a sigh and set the wine down. He pushed by a confused and slightly shocked Arthur and attempted to pull his jacket off. "Arg! I'm trapped!" he cried out, arms stuck in the sleeves as he flung about.

"Merlin..." Arthur whispered, appearing at his side and taking his arms in his hands, gently removing the jacket. Merlin leaned towards him and Arthur stood frozen for a moment, inches from his face. He could see something in his eyes, a deep sadness that he had never noticed before. Perhaps it was just the alcohol or the fact that he had spent his birthday at a work dinner. Arthur mentally scolded himself for being so selfish; he shouldn't have invited him tonight.

"Let's get you to bed." Arthur said gently and Merlin nodded, fumbling with his cuff links. Arthur took his hand in his and undid each cuff link, slipping them into his pocket and then untucking Merlin's shirt. Merlin stood still, too sleepy and lost in thought to care about what Arthur was doing. He felt warm fingers against his chest and looked down to find Arthur undoing his shirt and he looked up to see an odd expression on Arthur's face, unsure of what it was. Arthur pulled his arms out of the sleeves and gently set the shirt on the couch, trying very hard not to notice just how smooth Merlin's skin was. Merlin groaned and stumbled off to the bedroom and flopped down on the bed.

"You're not sleeping in those pants Merlin; you'll wrinkle them to death." He scolded and Merlin rolled over. Grumbling his complaints, he attempted to undo the belt that held the pants to his hips. "God Merlin, you're hopeless!" Arthur growled and leaned over him, undoing the belt and pants. He pulled them off in one smooth motion, grabbing his socks at the same time. When he looked down at Merlin his knees nearly buckled. Merlin lay sprawled out on the bed, his arms out to either side, dark eyelashes brushing his high cheekbones and hair in a mess. His ivory skin shone out in stark contrast against the black boxer briefs that hugged his small hips so perfectly. Arthur gulped, _don't be a perv Arthur!_ He told himself as he grabbed Merlin's shoulders and pulled him up the bed, tucking him into his blanket.

"Alright Merlin, goodnight." He said and turned to leave but Merlin's hand suddenly grabbed Arthur's wrist with a death lock.

"Don't leave... please?" He asked, his voice shaking with fear and alcohol as he stared up at him. His blue eyes shone with the threat of tears.

"Merlin don't be ridiculous," Arthur protested. He would have happily stayed but the fear in his stomach rolled in protest.

"It's my birthday Arthur and I really don't want to be alone," he whispered and Arthur's heart melted, the fear subsiding just enough. He nodded firmly, kicked off his shoes and pulled his shirt off and slipped in beside Merlin. He let Merlin curl up beside him and wrapped his arm around his thin shoulders as the shook slightly.

"Merlin... what's wrong?" Arthur asked, his hand smoothing his hair.

"It's my birthday and," Merlin chocked on his words, "my mum isn't here and Will is gone and I'm alone... I'm so alone Arthur." He cried and Arthur held him tightly.

"I'm here Merlin, you're not alone." He cooed, "how about you take this long weekend to go visit your mum hmm? I know it's been a while since you saw her." He offered. It was a long weekend and they were supposed to get it off, technically. Of course there were things that needed to be done but he supposed it could wait till Tuesday when Merlin got back. He thought it had been a nice offer until Merlin broke down sobbing.

"My mum died Arthur!" He wailed and the color drained from Arthur's face.

"But...but I remember you telling me about her before... New Years... you went and spent the holidays with her..." He would have known if Merlin's mother had died! Christ, he spent nearly every waking hour with the man, he would have said something!

"She passed away a month ago," he said, sniffing and trying to wipe away the tears.

"But... I would have known..." Arthur looked at him, pleading with Merlin to tell him differently. Surely he wasn't so self absorbed he hadn't noticed that the one person he cared most about had just lost the only parent he had.

"I... I didn't tell you... I didn't think you'd care..." Merlin explained slightly guiltily and Arthur bit back his own tears.

"Merlin of course I would have cared!" He grabbed his face in his hands and looked at him with such ferocity that Merlin's breath caught. "God Merlin you're completely daft! I would have given you time off. Did you... did you get to go to the funeral?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Yea," he gulped, "that three day weekend I took in the middle of February. I was able to get her affairs in order and everything... I'm sorry I didn't tell you..." He whispered and put his head back on the pillow.

"It's ok... go to sleep Merlin..." Arthur said gently and sat up, watching Merlin drift off to sleep.

DUN DUN DUN! Finally some heat between Arthur and Merlin! Hope you enjoyed! Please review :)


	9. Chapter 9

Annd next chapter!

Chapter 9

Merlin slowly came awake, the hang over headache making a long, loud march to his consciousness and he squeezed his eyes shut in protest. He shifted and then realized that there were arms around him... big, strong arms... Arthur's arms! Merlin froze, quickly trying to remember last night. _Oh no..._ he groaned, burying his face in Arthur's arm in humiliation. Oh god he had cried! In front of Arthur! And not just cried but sobbed, snotty, gross cried... _drunk cried_. And Arthur had undressed him! Suddenly the images came back to him and he groaned again. He drew in a deep breath and lay as still as he could, trying to think of some kind of explanation. Abducted by aliens and replaced by a robotic double? As he tried to think, he became increasingly aware of Arthur's body around his. His arms held him tightly to his chest, his warm body completely against Merlin's and Arthur's face was buried in the back of his neck. His deep breathing causing a warm sensation as he breathed against his skin, making Merlin squirm, nearly losing himself in the pleasure of his hard body against his own.

"mmm" Arthur moaned and Merlin bit his lip as he felt the brief but undeniable brush of Arthur's morning erection against him. He closed his eyes quickly, pretending to still be asleep as Arthur rolled away and woke up. "Merlin... are you sleeping?" He whispered but Merlin didn't move. He couldn't face Arthur, not yet, not like this, not nearly naked and in bed with... with... "Merlin?" Arthur whispered again, this time he could feel his face close to his as Arthur peered at him over his shoulder. When Merlin didn't move or indicate that he was awake at all, Arthur pulled his arm out slowly from under Merlin and then kissed the side of Merlin's head before sneaking out of the room and into the bathroom.

What just happened? Merlin thought, his eyes flinging open as soon as he heard the shower. Had Arthur seriously just kissed him? He sat up and rubbed his face, this was insane. What the hell was going on? The conversation with Morgana and Lance came back to him as he remembered them both saying that they had never seen Arthur care about someone so much. Lance knew that Merlin was gay but Morgana didn't but still, surely Lance wouldn't have meant it in that way, would he?

"Fuck..." Merlin hissed. This was all too much for first thing in the morning with a hangover. He got out of bed and walked into the kitchen and fumbled around until he managed to start the coffee maker. The shower stopped and Arthur poked his head out.

"Merlin, do you have a clean towel? Your place is a bloody disaster." He scolded and Merlin blushed.

"Well I certainly wasn't expecting company," he responded and grabbed a towel out of his laundry basket. "It's clean," he said as soon as he saw Arthur's scowl, "I just didn't have time to put the laundry away." He explained rather sheepishly and Arthur snatched the towel. Moments later he was stepping out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist. Merlin nearly tripped over the coffee table at the site and quickly sat down, stuffing a pillow onto his lap.

"I'm going to get dressed in your room if that's ok?"

"Yea... yea I'm just going to shower." Merlin stammered and sprinted for the bathroom. Once in the shower, he drew in several deep breaths. It was a bit cold, Arthur having used up a good majority of the hot water but Merlin didn't mind, he needed to cool off. The only problem was that he wasn't. He was rock hard as the images of Arthur naked flashed through his mind and he moaned, his hand instinctively going to himself. The idea that Arthur had been in here moments before, naked and wet made him tremble. He bit his lip, trying to push away the images but it was too much. The feel of his body against his, the way his breath had made his whole body ache. In moments, Merlin was gasping as he pumped himself, remembering the feel and imagining what it would be like to have Arthur inside of him, to have those strong arms pulling him back on his hips. He let out a soft cry as he came, water running in his eyes and mouth as he panted, finishing himself slowly. After the pleasurable fog had lifted, he washed off and scrubbed his face. God he had to get Arthur out of his mind. There was no way he could keep feeling like this and still manage to get any work done around him. _Maybe it was just the initial morning hard on and I won't think about it again_ he lied to himself. He dried off quickly, wrapping his towel around himself and stepping out into the living room. It was completely empty.

"Arthur?" Merlin called out and walked to the bedroom. All his clothes were gone and the flat was completely empty. "Asshole" Merlin muttered as he realized that he had obviously left without bothering to even say goodbye. Not that Merlin could blame him after last night, he had thoroughly embarrassed himself. Sighing he dropped his towel and pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed his black hoodie out of the laundry basket. Just as he was about to go pour himself a cup of coffee, the door opened and Arthur walked in carrying two coffees from Anita's.

"Chai tea" he said as he held out the tea to a gaping Merlin. "What?"

"I just... I thought you had left," Merlin said and took a sip of his favorite drink. Did Arthur seriously remember that this was his absolute favorite drink?

"No, I just refuse to drink that swill you call coffee," he growled but his eyes sparkled with their usual humor and Merlin found himself smiling.

"You're just a ninny," he responded and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"No, I thought I would take you out for breakfast, there's some paperwork I wanted to go over with you and I thought—"

"Jesus Christ Arthur! Seriously?" Merlin yelled, "It's the long weekend! Can't you just take one day off for once? Can't _I_ have a day off?"

"Just an hour!" Arthur pressed, "I swear! It won't take long at all."

"You had better be buying me the biggest stack of pancakes," Merlin growled as he grabbed his wallet and slipped on his sandals.

"I will," Arthur grinned and walked out with him. He was determined to make it up to Merlin. Last night had been a revelation to him of just how much like his father he had become. As he watched Merlin sleep, the realization had come over him like a wave and it had made him sick to his stomach. He hated how cold and cruel his father was. He knew that Uther loved him but there was never a moment in their entire relationship that Arthur had ever felt that love or even if his father was proud of him at all. He doubted that he cared for him, that he approved of his decisions and the pain that caused him left him breathless. Arthur had always been distant, he knew that, he had never been an affectionate person or been good at expressing himself but he wasn't cold like Uther. The very thought that Merlin could ever think that Arthur didn't care for him made him want to scream and shake the raven-haired boy silly. Ever since Merlin had come into his life, he had felt a shift in himself. It was gradual but increasingly stronger as time went on. He was aware that Merlin was causing him to rethink his approach to business and he often found himself wondering what Merlin would do in the same situation whereas before it was always 'what would Uther do?'. Merlin had awaked his conscience and had slowly but surely chipped away at the wall Arthur had built up around himself. He wasn't sure why he was so shut off, but regardless of the reason, he was grateful that Merlin was in his life to help him remind him what it meant to be human. It was about time that he had tried to show this beyond his casual banter and failed attempts to include him in things that he would otherwise not be. Last night's attempt to show Merlin how much he appreciated him by bringing him to a private dinner with the board had failed miserably and Arthur felt a little bit like an idiot.

"Here," Arthur grabbed the door to the restaurant and held it open for Merlin which got him a suspicious glare. They were seated at a booth off to the side with a sidewalk view of the London streets. Arthur promptly excused himself and disappeared, Merlin assumed it was to wash up. He looked over the menu and decided, since it was Arthur's money and he was being forced to work on his day off, that he would order the most expensive and biggest order. He snickered to himself and set the menu down as Arthur took his seat and the waitress came over to them.

"Are you all set then?" She asked.

"Yes, I'll have the American breakfast, bacon and hash browns, oh and six pancakes, not the junior sized." He ordered, making sure to clarify that he wanted the largest amount of food as possible, "and a chocolate milkshake to drink."

"Blimey Merlin, you can't seriously eat all that can you?" Arthur asked, wide eyed and Merlin shrugged. "I'll have a small order of pancakes and a bowl of fruit on the side. Tea and water to drink." He said and handed the menus to the waitress who smiled and walked off.

"You're eating pancakes?" Merlin asked in surprise.

"I'm hungry and I hardly ever get a decent breakfast since you started to work for me." He teased and Merlin scowled.

"So what did you want to go over?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. We'll save the boring talk for after we've eaten, I can't think on an empty stomach." Arthur said and thanked the server for the tea.

"Fine..." Merlin eyed him suspiciously and took a sip of his milkshake. "Look Arthur about last night, I'm really sorry I um... I'm so embarrassed." Merlin stammered, blushing a brilliant shade of red that made Arthur's heart skip a beat.

"Don't worry about it Merlin, it's alright." Arthur reassured and Merlin shook his head.

"I'd really like it if we could just forget the whole thing ever happened." He said with a hopeful smile and Arthur momentarily looked hurt but then smiled that dazzlingly smile of his.

"Sure Merlin, consider it forgotten." He said gently and Merlin sighed with relief. "But, there is one thing I can't forget."

_Oh no..._ Merlin gulped, blushing as he wondered what it was that he couldn't let go.

"Your birthday _Mer_lin." Arthur said, chuckling at the look of horror on Merlin's face.

"Oh... right," he smiled and was grateful that it wasn't the part that he couldn't forget. Arthur standing inches from him, undressing him slowly, almost seductively.

"I also can't forget the fact that you mentioned you only have one suit! That's completely unacceptable Merlin. You're an adult and you work in the business field. Every man needs three suits: one for dinner parties, one for meetings and one for meeting women."

"Ya well, I can't exactly afford it you know. Good suits are expensive." Merlin sighed, when would he ever let up about his damn clothes?

"Hmm," Arthur shrugged, "how old are you anyway?"

"Twenty seven, you?" Merlin asked back and Arthur raised his eyebrow.

"Thirty," he replied and drank his tea.

"Huh"

"What?"

"I would have thought you were older," Merlin said, playing with his straw, "you have quite a few wrinkles around the eyes." He pointed out, biting his lip to bite back the smile as he looked into the other's eyes. Arthur flushed and pinched his lips together.

"I don't have wrinkles _Mer_lin" he snapped but Merlin snickered as he saw him trying to get a look in the window's reflection. "Oh shut up!" He snapped, laughing and throwing his napkin at him.

Just then their food arrived and right on top of Merlin's monstrous stack of pancakes sat a birthday candle, its little flame sputtering in the breeze created by the waitress' fast movement as she set it in front of him.

"Happy birthday Merlin," Arthur said, grinning his lopsided grin at the look of surprise on Merlin's face.

"B-but..." he stammered and looked up at him, goofy grin across his face.

"Well don't just sit there you idiot! Blow it out before it melts all over your pancakes!" Arthur ordered, "Don't forget to make a wish!" He added just as Merlin drew in a breath. He squinted his eyes shut, _I wish I could be with Arthur_ he wished impulsively and blew out the lone candle. "Geez Merlin, you nearly washed my face with your spittle!" Arthur grumbled, wiping his face. Merlin laughed and pulled the candle out, sucking off the sticky syrup from the end and setting it aside.

"So was this really a work dinner or did you suddenly grow a heart and decide to take me out for my birthday?" Merlin asked, diving right in.

"If you must know," Arthur spoke, his voice serious but hiding a hint of humor, "I looked in your fridge while you were in the shower and I was absolutely horrified and I started to feel like a slave driver since clearly you don't get nearly enough food to eat!" He explained and Merlin laughed around his mouthful of pancakes.

Merlin shook his head and continued eating his pancakes, his mood much improved now that he knew he didn't actually have to work. It wasn't terrible, spending the morning with Arthur, especially if they actually got to have some fun.

"So Merlin, I know nothing about you and you seem to know everything about me. In the seven months you've worked for me I seem to have failed to learn anything interesting about you... or are you just that dull that there's nothing to be found?" Arthur asked, challenging him.

"Hmmph, I wouldn't expect you to notice anything about me Arthur. There's never been a time for you learn anything about who I am beyond my typing and reading skills." Merlin replied honestly, somewhat harder than he meant. Arthur frowned and raised his chin to him.

"Then tell me something about yourself. What do you do when you're not working?"

"Sleep, shower, eat if I have time..." Merlin responded, it was the truth. He never had any time left to himself anymore. Every moment he had was either spent taking care of Arthur or fulfilling his own very basic needs to survival like sleeping and eating.

"Don't be ridiculous _Mer_lin, you're not with me 24/7, and you must do something beyond standing around drooling like an idiot."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I do spend nearly 24/7 with you and when I'm not, I'm doing something _for_ you like picking up your groceries or some other ridiculous errand and _if_ I do manage to get home before midnight, I spend the night going through the work you inevitably give me before I leave. I don't remember the last time I slept more than four hours and didn't wake up with a piece of paper stuck to my face. Last night was the first time in a week I actually fell asleep in bed!" Merlin ranted and Arthur frowned even more. Did he really work Merlin that hard? He didn't think he did but upon thinking about it more, it would explain why Merlin always seemed so on top of everything.

"Well... if I hadn't taken you this morning what would you have done this weekend?" He prodded, he would learn at least one of Merlin's hobbies if it was the last thing he did!

"Probably slept in and then, I don't know," Merlin shrugged, "might have gone for a hike or something. Maybe leave the city but probably not, I wouldn't want to go too far in case you needed me." He stopped himself and quickly stuffed another bite in his mouth.

"So you like to hike?" Arthur inquired further.

"Yea, I love it. I love being outside. Hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing, just laying under a tree with a good book."

"That... sounds all very... not what I imagined you enjoyed doing." Arthur replied honestly. He never really pictured Merlin as an outdoor, sporty person. He was always much too awkward and clumsy, his legs and arms seeming to be too long and the idea of him sailing just left Arthur with the image of absolute destruction.

"What? What do you picture me doing when I'm not with you? Sitting at home knitting?" Merlin teased and Arthur smiled bashfully.

"No, I just... You never really seem very comfortable in your own skin, like it's too big for you and you're well, you're _you_. You're incredibly clumsy Merlin."

To Arthur's surprise, Merlin threw his head back and laughed at Arthur's description of him, making Arthur laugh too but still not sure why it was so funny since it was the truth.

"God you're such a prat!" Merlin said finally once he calmed down, "maybe I'm just so awkward and clumsy because I'm always cooped up in doors with you and never get outside where there's natural light and warmth and _life_." Merlin's grey blue eyes twinkled as he talked and again Arthur was made aware of just how little he knew about the man he was coming to care so deeply for and also just how incredible those eyes really were.

"Well, maybe I'll let you take me outside during our lunch one day and you can eat nuts or whatever you squirrels do." Arthur offered, a teasing smile toying with his lips. Merlin bit his lip and searched his face. What had gotten into Arthur?

"Alright so tell me something about you now Arthur."

"You already know everything about me Merlin." Arthur pointed out, which was pretty accurate but there were definitely still things about himself he managed to keep private.

"That's not true. I don't know what you're really passionate about. I mean, I know you love your work and everything but... isn't there anything else you care about?"

"What like prancing around the forest with all the woodland creatures like you Merlin?"

"Yea," Merlin chose to ignore his rude remark and push past it.

"I like to read." Arthur said after a long pause, all trace of humor gone.

"I notice you have a lot of books at your flat, your living rooms full of them. What do you like to read?"

"Everything really," Arthur sighed and Merlin caught the glimpse of passion in his eyes, "mythology mostly. My favorite is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."

"I've read that, it was good." Merlin smiled warmly and took another bite.

"Enough about me though _Mer_lin! I want to know about you. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? What did you study?" Arthur pressed and leaned forward on the table, desperately wanting to pull out Merlin's secrets. Why was he so secretive about his life?

"Ealdor, just outside Wicklow Ireland," Merlin said in response to Arthur's question about his roots.

"That explains the accent," Arthur mumbled.

"I went to Oxford University and studied law."

"Really?!" Arthur nearly dropped his fork he was so shocked. "Why on earth are you my assistant? Did you not complete your degree?"

Merlin growled, picturing slapping Arthur's snobby mouth.

"No _Arthur_ I didn't drop out, I completed my Bachelor's Degree and I am your assistant simply because no one was hiring in my field." Merlin explained, thoroughly annoyed.

"What is your field?" Arthur pressed further.

"Business law," he said with a great sigh, "specifically contracts."

"That explains why you're so good with the contracts! So you're actually a lawyer?" Arthur exclaimed and Merlin rolled his eyes. Seriously? Had he not looked at his resume once since that first day?

"Well of course Arthur, what did you think, I didn't have more than a high school education and somehow landed a job at one of Britain's most renowned corporate offices?" He said sarcastically.

"Well, kind of yes."

"You really are the Prince of Prats aren't you? I can't believe you never even looked at my resume. I didn't _want_ to be anyone's assistant, I _wanted_ a job as a lawyer but there weren't any job openings and it was either get a job doing whatever or go back to Ireland and try to find something there. I originally applied to your law department but HR decided, well more like _Gaius_ decided that I would be better suited as your assistant. A cruel joke that was for both of us I know now." Merlin ranted, amused but at the same time annoyed. It never ceased to amaze him just how ignorant Arthur was of the people around him. He had no idea that Erin was pregnant and had been the idiotic individual he usually was and had told her she needed to lay off the biscuits which sent her crying hysterically to the bathroom. It took Morgana two hours to convince her to come out and Arthur still didn't know what he had done wrong. "Do you intentionally not pay attention to anyone else? Is it like, some affliction you have where you're oblivious to the world around you?" Merlin teased and Arthur glared at him.

"I do notice things _Mer_lin. I just don't feel the need to discuss every single thing that happens in my day with everyone."

"Uh huh" Merlin smiled and pushed his plate away from him, having only managed to eat two pancakes, the bacon and a bit of fruit he stole from Arthur. "I'm so stuffed." He groaned and Arthur smiled.

"Excellent! Now, I have one more surprise for you before I release you back to your decrepit little flat."

"Oh no Arthur what is it?"

It turned out to be Louis Vuitton. Arthur dragged Merlin into the shop and had insisted that he be fitted for two suits and a tux by his own personal tailor. Merlin had thoroughly complained but Arthur would hear none of it and in the end, Merlin gave in and allowed himself to be poked and prodded by various needles. When it was all said and done, Merlin nearly had a heart attack as Arthur was cashing out several thousand pounds later.

"Arthur, you can't just... spend eleven thousand pounds on me!" Merlin whispered to him in horror.

"Don't be stupid Merlin, of course I can. Your suit was nice but honestly, if you want to be successful in this business you need to look the part and frankly, you're sorely lacking in that department. And since I know that I definitely don't pay you enough, consider this an investment in your future." Arthur stated rather firmly and Merlin looked up at him with even more confusion. What man in his right mind would drop over eleven thousand pounds on his assistant?

"Arthur... have you been abducted by aliens and replaced with a robotic double?" Merlin asked quite seriously and Arthur growled, grabbing his face and shoving him away.

They spent the rest of the day together, despite the fact that Arthur had promised to return him to his flat after suit shopping. Instead, they wandered around the streets of London, stopping into little shops and Arthur insisted that Merlin had to buy the fedora he tried on in a hat shop. He also insisted that he needed a fez because much to Merlin's surprise (and delight), Arthur was a fellow Whovian. They stopped for a small lunch by the river and then wandered down an alley that was lined completely by old used book shops and they the last of the daylight browsing the bins outside for treasures. Merlin had not had such a good day in so long that he was reluctant to let it end. He wanted to find a way to keep Arthur with him but he couldn't think of a good enough excuse. So Arthur walked him back up to his flat and they stood at the door awkwardly.

"Thanks for today," Merlin said finally, genuinely grateful. Arthur smiled back and it was that smile that seemed to only grace Arthur's face when he was looking at Merlin.

"You're welcome Merlin, but don't start thinking that I actually like you," he teased and Merlin smacked his arm.

"Ah, you love me, it's alright," he joked and tried to pretend he didn't notice the sudden fear flash in Arthur's eyes. It fell silent and it was awkward again, making Merlin shift nervously. "Well, guess I'll go inside." He said and Arthur nodded.

"Right, well, good night," he said and Merlin hesitated, it looked like he wanted to say more but instead, he turned away and was gone before Merlin could say anything else.


	10. Chapter 9 and a half

Ok so I meant to add this to the last chapter but I forgot, so here it is. a little bitty blurb!

Chapter 9.5

Arthur sat in his car after dropping Merlin off and gripped the steering wheel, telling himself to take deep breaths. What was happening? He had just had the best day of his entire life and it had been with Merlin. Not like that was a problem for most people but it was for Arthur. Merlin was his employee and a _guy_. But there was something at Merlin that made his insides burn, something that made him feel viciously possessive of him. And when Merlin had joked that he loved him he felt like the wind had been kicked out of him. He didn't _love_ Merlin, not like that. He did _like_ Merlin, even would go so far as to say that he was a close friend but he didn't like him in that way, did he? He had to stop thinking like this.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Merlin are you coming to the Christmas party?" Morgana asked as she came out of Arthur's office.

"Hmm? Oh right, I thought that was for senior staff only." Merlin replied, scratching his ear.

"It is, but you're the exception Merlin-you're _always_ the exception." She replied cryptically.

"When is it?"

"Why tonight of course! Geez Merlin, has Arthur really kept you all to himself so much that you hadn't noticed me planning this party for the last month?" She teased and Merlin grinned.

"I forgot. Of course I'll come, never know, Arthur will probably set himself on fire or something!"

"He really is hopeless without you Mer," she purred and headed off, "come in a cab! Everyone's required to drink and be merry! Oh and wear something nice! It's semi-formal!" She called over her shoulder and Merlin groaned. Why did a party have to be semi-formal when it was just a bunch of co-workers getting together to drink and celebrate the holidays?

"Well you heard the lady," Arthur said over Merlin's shoulder, making him jump, "you had better go home and get cleaned up, you're absolutely _filthy_" he whispered into his ear, sending a shiver down Merlin's back.

"Do you need me for anything else then sir?" Merlin asked once he found his voice again.

"Oh there's plenty I need you for Merlin, but nothing right now." Arthur teased and Merlin stared after him in confusion. He gathered up the things from his desk that he would need and slipped them in his bag. Wrapping his scarf tightly around his neck, he pulled on his coat and headed out, contemplating Arthur's behavior.

Things had really changed ever since that night on his birthday when they spent the night and following day together. It was like Arthur was a new man suddenly, well not completely, Merlin corrected himself. He was still a stuck up, ignorant, stubborn ass but it was like he was aware of it now and was actively trying to correct it. He had made sure that Merlin sent Erin a congratulations card when she had had her baby. He asked his staff about their weekends and showed a genuine interest in people. He had even started thanking his staff members for their work at staff meetings. Merlin snickered as he remembered how Lance nearly fell off his chair the first time it happened. It wasn't just his staff anymore either. Arthur had changed in his business practices even. Instead of just buying up the business, gutting it and either tearing it down or redesigning it, he worked on trying to better them with the current management and minimize Camelot's control of them. It was like he was slowly melting, whatever ice that had built up in him was slowly thawing and the person Merlin had always suspected was in there was finally making his way to the surface.

It wasn't this behaviour though that disturbed Merlin, no it was the change in their relationship that had left him lying awake most nights confused. They had grown incredibly close and Merlin was fully aware of his own growing feelings towards Arthur. If he wasn't careful, he was going to end up in love with the poor bastard and regardless of everything else; falling for the boss was definitely not something Merlin ever wanted to do. However he couldn't deny the way their relationship was changing. It had been slow at first. Arthur had seemed to be back to his old self after Merlin's birthday; any affection he had shown him was quickly removed and redirected at showing his appreciation for his other staff. But over time, slowly, Arthur had started getting closer to Merlin. It had started with him randomly sharing a very personal experience with Merlin, including how he had felt when he had learned his mother had died giving birth to him or how he felt like he could never live up to his father's expectations. And then he noticed how Arthur was paying more attention to him like now Arthur brought _him_ coffee every morning instead of Merlin making it (although he argued it was because Merlin's coffee making skills had made no improvements since his being hired and Arthur was willing to admit defeat at trying to educate him and had settled for being in charge of coffee in the mornings). He would ask about his days off, ask if he and Will had managed to make up yet and noticed when Merlin was feeling out of sorts. Then it grew even more to the point where Arthur had started to notice if Merlin was feeling especially lonely and he would invite him over, not to work but to just spend time together, watching TV, cooking or playing Xbox. When Merlin was getting extra stressed about things, Arthur had learned how to calm him down and get him to focus on one thing at a time. Just like when Arthur would blow up at someone at work, losing his temper, and Merlin would step in and manage to calm him down. It befuddled Merlin so much as he thought about it on his way home. Lately, Arthur had taken to crossing personal boundaries like making a point to brush his hand against Merlin's thigh or, like moments before, whisper in his ear when it was completely unnecessary. The comments were a new development of the day. Never had Arthur said anything so suggestive and clearly mean it.

If Merlin were to think about it objectively, he could almost believe that Arthur had a crush on him but Merlin immediately dismissed that. Arthur was straight, which had been made clear to him early on when Morgana had recounted Arthur's "female adventures". Although, Merlin thought, he hadn't had an 'adventure' since Merlin had started as far as he knew. Maybe it wasn't such an impossible thought after all, was he really the _exception_? He shook his head as he closed his front door. No, it wasn't that Arthur had a crush on him it was just... a different kind of relationship. They were far past the boundaries of boss/employee relationship and it seemed like they were in some kind of friendship that was just a bit more than friends but not. It definitely wasn't brotherly, at least on Merlin's side of things because he frequently fantasised about Arthur and he was pretty sure he had caught Arthur checking him out on more than one occasion. No it was like they were in a romantic relationship without ever having declared it or have had any near-sexual interactions beyond that one night in bed. Never before had Merlin been in this kind of relationship and it left him in a fit of knots and constant guessing.

He stripped; pushing away thoughts of the bizarre friendship he had with Arthur and focused on the party. He wondered who would all be there, Morgana and Arthur obviously; he thought it would be safe to assume that Lance, Leon, and Percy would be there as well, perhaps even Gaius. He doubted that Uther would be since Morgana seemed far too relaxed for the possibility of her step father's presence. Hopefully, despite the formal dress code, it would be a relaxing night and Merlin would be able to let go a little. He showered and managed to style his hair a bit, mostly it just looked like he had rolled out of bed but honestly, there was very little he could do about it. He dressed in the dark suit that Arthur had bought him on his birthday with a dark smoky grey dress shirt. The vest he chose was black but had a lacy gothic design to it that he had loved the moment he saw it in the store. He chose red cufflinks and his red cravat in celebration of the holidays. He walked over to the little Christmas tree he had set up on his coffee table and grabbed the dozen presents he'd bought and wrapped for his coworkers. He looked at the present for Will, a stabbing pain shooting through his stomach before turning away and dropping the gifts in a gift bag. Merlin looked around the flat, trying to figure out what it was that he had forgotten. The wine! Right, he thought and went to the cupboard. He had been saving this bottle of Merlot for a special occasion but nothing had come up and he figured it would make a decent gift for the hostess. Giving a last glance over everything, he locked up and headed out.

"Merlin you made it!" Morgana greeted when she opened the door.

"Happy Christmas Morgana," Merlin said as she kissed his cheeks. "Gift for you," he lifted up the bottle of wine and she grinned even more.

"Excellent! You can put it over there on the bar. God Merlin you look absolutely dashing in that suit! Where ever did you get it? Is it Louis Vuitton?" She asked, her arm immediately linking with his and guiding him inside.

"Uh, your brother bought it for me as a birthday gift actually," Merlin explained, "and yes, it is."

"My, my, my brother really does know how to show his appreciation doesn't he?" She teased with a wink. "Here have a drink dear," she swapped the bottle of wine with a glass of champagne and then disappeared as the doorbell rang again.

Merlin looked around the extravagant flat that Morgana lived in. It had been thoroughly decorated in spirit of Christmas with a twenty foot Christmas tree in the center of the entrance. The walls were lined with tactful garland and lights, mistletoe hanging in nearly every doorway, though there were few as it was a modern design leaving most of the apartment open with only support beams scattered around. Dean Martin sang _White Christmas_ in the background and in the living room, fake snow floated down from the ceiling creating a truly winter wonderland right there. Merlin stared in awe at the extend of care and beauty that she had obviously put into the party as he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He walked over to the smaller tree that was tucked in the corner that was clearly being used as the 'gift deposit' space and unpacked his own presents. He hesitated though on the second gift he had for Arthur and instead, tucked it inside his vest. Standing up, he looked around the room and waved hello to the people he knew. As he predicted, Lance, Leon and Percy were gathered together by the main tree talking animatedly about something. Merlin was still scanning the crowd, wondering if Arthur had shown up yet when he felt hands slide onto his hips.

"Looking for me?" Arthur asked, his lips brushing against Merlin's ear and Merlin squirmed away.

"Arthur you prat! You nearly scared me half to death." He growled, smacking Arthur on the arm.

"Hey now, is that any way to treat your boss?" Arthur teased.

"Tonight, you're not my boss. I am officially not your employee for the next twenty four hours and therefore can't be held responsible for what I say or do." Merlin declared proudly. Arthur grinned a wickedly mischievous grin and took a step closer to him.

"Oh really? Is that a fact _Mer_lin?" He asked, but Merlin had lost his ability to speak. He could smell the scotch on Arthur's breath and Arthur's spicy cologne, could feel the warmth of his breath on his own lips.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Morgana's voice rang out, interrupting them from whatever moment they were having as she addressed the group. She stood up on a stole in front of the large tree. "Now that everyone is here I wanted to say welcome and merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas!"

Everyone shouted back in response and she grinned. Morgana, Merlin noticed, was made to live in the spot light.

"Thank you all for coming and I want you all to make yourselves at home but please stay on the main floor and avoid going upstairs. The loo is off to the far left," she pointed behind her, "and the dining room and kitchen are through those doors," she pointed again off to the side where two white double doors stood open. Merlin could see the table laden with food and what must have been a fifty pound turkey. "Keys are to be left in the bowl at the bar, please if you're drinking, please take a cab home later on and do refrain from driving. That's all I have to say now! Enjoy the party!" She shouted and everyone cheered, clapping and clinking their glasses together.

"Morgana sure knows how to throw a party." Merlin said to Arthur who was now standing next to him.

"You should see the New Year's party; it's even more outrageous than this." Arthur pointed out and Merlin looked at him in shock.

"Seriously? There's fake snow in my champagne Arthur, how much more outrageous can she get?" Merlin pointed out.

"Oh trust us, Mer, she should have been a party planner." Lance said as he strolled up next to them. "You missed out on it last year with you being in Ireland and all but blimey it was a great party. I think none of us made it back to our places; we couldn't even manage to call a cab. We all ended up crashing on the couch with confetti stuck to our faces." They laughed.

"Here," Arthur had managed to sneak off and reappear without Merlin noticing as he handed him a fresh drink.

"Thanks," Merlin smiled at him and looked at Lance as he took a sip. Lance was eyeing them both rather suspiciously.

"There was snow in his," Arthur explained, "I didn't want to listen to him complain all night about it. Make sure you cover the top this time idiot."

Merlin and Lance both just shook their heads at him and looked out at the other party goers. Morgana came over to them, her scarlet dress flowing out behind her and her teeth glittering with her smile.

"Oh isn't it my favorite couple!" She said as she kissed Arthur on the cheek and again kissed Merlin.

"We're not a couple," Merlin mumbled, blushing a horrible shade of red.

"Oh I'm only teasing Mer," she said with a wink which only made him blush even more. "What do you think of the party?" She asked, linking her arm with his and successfully butting Arthur away from him.

"I think its brilliant Morgana, honestly. It's incredible what you've done. I feel like I'm in a bloody snow globe!" He praised and Morgana beamed. "And you look absolutely radiant! I didn't get a chance to tell you that before but for real Morgs, you look stunning."

"Oh thank you Merlin!" She squeezed his arm, "I wanted to look especially dashing tonight. I've been sort of... seeing Leon." She confided and Merlin gasped in surprise.

"Really? I had no idea!"

"Well of course not, not all of us are as open about our relationship at work."

"Ok that's it," Merlin pulled his arm away, "what are you on about Morgana? Arthur and I are hardly in a relationship beyond professional. Well... we're friends but that's all!"

"Oh honestly Merlin, you can't really believe that can you?" She hissed, giving him a reproachful look.

"I don't know what you've been drinking but-"

"Merlin, my brother is by far the most unaffectionate person I know besides our father except when he's with you. He's always touching you, adjusting your collar, or something."

"Or smacking me or scolding me for my 'inability to dress myself'" Merlin corrected.

"Oh Merlin you really are a hopeless idiot aren't you?" She sighed and linked arms with him again. She didn't bring it up again for the rest of the night but Merlin couldn't get her words out of his head. Combining what she said with Arthur's recent behaviour, he was wondering just how long he could deny it any more.

The evening moved on in a cheerful spirit, Merlin mingled with various people, while Arthur kept his distance (but not his gaze, Merlin noted). Gaius did show up and Merlin spent an hour in the corner by the tree talking about Ireland and Christmas back home. It was difficult he admitted, not having his mother there but he was glad to be able to spend the holiday with his friends. He had several more drinks and decided that Morgana's spiced eggnog was by far the best he'd ever had and settled on drinking that for the rest of the night, mixing it up only ever so rarely with coke and black spiced rum. It was going on midnight when Lance came over to Merlin and pulled him aside.

"The crew is exchanging gifts in the kitchen; we want you to be there." He invited Merlin.

"Yea, I'll just grab the gifts I brought," Merlin went back to the tree and gathered up the gifts he had brought. The crowd was thinning as it was Christmas Eve and most people had families to go home to or needed to get to bed so they could visit with them the following morning. Merlin planned on staying until the end. He noted with a smile on his face as he walked into the kitchen that this group had somehow become his family. He cared about all of them and in the last year and a half; they had all managed to make their way into his heart. He smiled at the sight of them and strolled into the room.

"Oh Merlin!" Gwen waved him down and Merlin quickly pulled her into a hug.

"I didn't know you were here Gwen! I haven't seen you all night!" He said and was surprised when both Gwen and Lance turned a bright red.

"Erm well, I was mingling..." She stammered and Merlin grinned. Mingling with Lance, he thought.

"I got you a gift, I'm so glad I brought it now. I wasn't sure if you'd be here or not but I figured I'd better bring it anyway." He rambled as he reached into the gift bag and pulled out a brightly wrapped present and handed it to her.

"Aw thank you Merlin! I also have something for you!" She disappeared and reappeared with a blue box that she handed to him.

"Well I guess everyone should exchange gifts!" Morgana said quickly, deciding that no formal direction needed to be given and began handing out her presents. Merlin passed around the ones he brought and thanked everyone for the ones they gave him. Once everyone had their respective gifts, they all began opening them and the usual "ooh's" and "ahhh's" began.

Gwen had knitted Merlin a beautiful green scarf with a Celtic triquetra embroidered in gold at the end. Lance had given him a set of collectible Elvin daggers from the Lord of the Rings movies and Merlin nearly took off Arthur's head as he waved one around excitedly. It had been decided that he shouldn't play with them while drinking.

"Or maybe never play with them. I'll end up getting a call in the middle of the night that you managed to fall on your own dagger," Arthur teased.

Merlin had actually received gifts from everyone that is except from Arthur. He tried not to show any disappointment but it was confusing since Arthur had been so strangely attentive lately. Everyone thanked Merlin for the gifts he got them and pretty soon, they had split off into groups, talking excitedly. Merlin had just finished his glass of eggnog and had excused himself to get more when a hand came out of the shadows and pulled him into the dark hallway.

"Arthur!" Merlin hissed, nearly dropping the crystal glass on the marble floor.

"Shh," Arthur ordered and pulled Merlin up the stairs.

"We're not supposed to go up here Arthur, Morgana made that very clear earlier." He whispered as he stumbled up the steps.

"It doesn't count for me, I'm family. I have my own room here... well sort of, it's a guest room but it's the room I always stay in." Arthur explained and shoved Merlin in said room.

The room was pitch black and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Arthur had moved away and turned on a lamp on the bedside table.

"I wanted to give you your present," he said and Merlin's stomach flipped.

"Here? In... a bedroom?" Merlin asked and Arthur smiled that smile that made Merlin go weak in the knees. No one ever saw this smile; he never looked at anyone the way he was looking at Merlin now.

"Yea," Arthur replied, his voice thick. He stepped closer and pulled out a small box.

"I got you a gift too." Merlin blurted, too nervous to just stand still.

"You already got me something."

"Oh that yea, but it wasn't really your present. I just didn't want to give you this in front of everyone."

"Why?" Arthur asked, eyebrow quirked as he took the small, gold wrapped package from Merlin's hand.

"Well, I know how much you care about the way people see you and well... I didn't think you'd want them to know this about you..." Merlin rambled.

"What are you on about Merlin?" Arthur hissed and Merlin sighed.

"Just open it you prat!"

"Fine," Arthur smiled and pulled the wrapping away only to gasp at what was inside. "Merlin..." He whispered as he stared at the leather bound first edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. "It's beautiful..." He ran his fingers over the gold lettering on the cover and turned it over in his hands gingerly. "Where did you find it?"

"At that little used book shop we stopped at that one time, remember?" Merlin smiled, he was glad Arthur liked it though he knew he would. He had mentioned it was the only first addition he hadn't managed to get his hands on that he desperately wanted.

"I remember," he looked at Merlin with wonder and stepped in closer, setting the book down on the desk. "Time for your present," he whispered. "Close your eyes Merlin."

"Why?" Merlin asked, heart pounding in his chest. Was he going to kiss him?

"Just do it _Mer_lin" Arthur groaned and Merlin acquiesced, licking his lips nervously. Arthur's hands came up and cupped his face gently, thumbs stroking his jaw as he slid his hands down. Merlin gasped, biting his lip nervously as Arthur undid his cravat and let it slip to the floor. The memory of Arthur undressing him on his birthday came rushing back and Merlin shook, _what was Arthur doing?!_ And then he felt something incredibly soft, like silk being wrapped around his neck.

"Ok, you can open them," Arthur instructed and Merlin opened his eyes slowly. Peeling his eyes away from Arthur's intense blue eyes, he looked down at the thing wrapped around his neck.

"Oh Arthur it's beautiful..." he grinned as he looked at the blue silk cravat wrapped around his throat.

"I saw it at the store the other day and it made me think of you... I thought... I thought it would bring out your eyes." Arthur explained gently, his own hand coming up to stroke the smooth material.

"A-and were you right?" Merlin stammered, looking up and getting lost in those deep blue eyes.

"_Mer_lin you idiot, haven't you learned by now that I'm _always_ right?" Arthur teased, smiling and licking his own lips, his eyes trailing down Merlin's face to his lips. He pressed his forehead against Merlin's, suddenly panting. "Come home with me tonight Merlin."

Ahh cliff hanger! Enjoy! ;)


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Merlin's heart stopped but he didn't dare move. Nervously he raised his hands and rested them on Arthur's chest. Was this really happening?

"What?"

"You heard me." Arthur's voice was husky, "come home with me Merlin."

"When you say come home with you..." Merlin licked his lips and brushed his thumbs against Arthur's chest, he could feel Arthur's heart racing beneath his breast.

"You know exactly what I mean Merlin..." He gasped, his hands sliding to Merlin's hips and pulling him against him. He couldn't resist it anymore, no matter what he told himself, he wanted Merlin more than he had ever wanted anyone. He pressed his lips against Merlin's soft lips and kissed him. His lips tasted like eggnog and were sweat and delicious and Arthur moaned as he cupped Merlin's face with his hand, holding him to him. Merlin's knees buckled and he nearly collapsed as Arthur's lips met his. Merlin could still taste the scotch as he opened his mouth to him, his whole body shaking as Arthur moaned. Merlin reached up and wrapped his fingers in his hair just as he had wanted to for so long, desire blinding him as their kiss grew more heated.

Arthur's mouth hungrily moved down Merlin's jaw, nipping teasingly as he made his way down his throat, one hand pulling the cravat out of the way and the other sliding down Merlin's back to grip his ass. Merlin moaned loudly and pressed himself against Arthur.

"Take me home now," Merlin gasped, opening his eyes and pulling Arthur's head back up to kiss him more. Arthur was just pulling away to tell Merlin to grab his things when a loud thud against the door made them both jump apart like two teenagers caught making out in their parents car.

"Shit!" Arthur hissed and flung open the door where Gwen and Lance toppled into him.

"Oh god!" Gwen blushed, pulling the straps of her dress back up and Lance looked at Arthur with a stupid grin.

"Sorry mate," He said and then noticed Arthur's puffy red lips and then his eyes fell on Merlin who was standing in the shadows looking uncomfortable. "Didn't realize this room was occupied."

"Lance!" Gwen smacked his shoulder, "I'm so sorry Arthur... and Merlin." She stammered, pushing Lance away.

"Don't worry, we were just leaving." Arthur growled and pushed passed them. Merlin stood in the dark for a moment, quickly trying to calm his hormones down unsuccessfully before he quickly scampered after Arthur.

"Morgana, we're leaving." Arthur announced to his sister, kissing her hurriedly on the cheek.

"But-" She started and then looked at Merlin's flushed cheeks and stopped, "alright, be safe. I'll see you tomorrow evening for dinner with father." She kissed Arthur's cheek back and then Merlin's. "It's about time." She whispered into his ear so that no one but Merlin heard.

"Thanks," Merlin said, not sure what else to say but he was truly grateful for Morgana's persistence, even if it annoyed the hell out of him.

"Common Merlin!" Arthur shouted from the door.

"I need to find my jacket!" Merlin yelled back and Arthur held up a black jacket and bag.

"I have your things already."

"Christ he sure can move fast when he wants to!" Merlin mumbled to no one in particular but Morgana and Leon both heard and snickered.

The cab ride to Arthur's was filled with awkward silence as they sat at opposite sides of the car, Arthur staring out the window and biting his nails.

"You shouldn't do that," Merlin scolded him for the thousandth time and pulled his hand away but instead of letting go like he usually did, he entwined his fingers with Arthur's. Arthur looked at their hands and then looked at Merlin and he then realized why he was chewing his nails. He was actively forcing himself not to jump on Merlin right there in the cab. He squeezed his hand, trying to let him know he was feeling the same way without saying anything and they both went back to staring out the window.

Arthur paid the cab driver and then grabbed Merlin about the waist and ushered him inside. In the elevator, Arthur stood rigid with his hands clenched at his side, watching the light flash on each floor as they went up. Merlin watched him with curiosity; he had never seen Arthur so agitated. He sometimes got really worked up but never like this, never like he was about to explode at any moment. The moment the elevator dinged and the doors opened up to the penthouse, Arthur was on Merlin.

He grabbed his arm and pulled him to him in lightening speed, tossing aside their jackets and bags. Merlin's hands were already undoing Arthur's shirt and sliding it off his broad shoulders as they moved down the hallway, kissing passionately and bumping into the walls as they went.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Merlin asked, gasping for air and looking at Arthur, afraid he would back down.

"Shut up you idiot!" Arthur growled and thrust Merlin against the wall. He pulled off Merlin's vest and ripped open the shirt.

"That was Louis-" Merlin yelped but was cut off by Arthur's mouth as his tongue slipped inside his own mouth and Merlin moaned. Merlin dragged his hands down Arthur's back and slipped his fingers inside the waist band of his pants, undoing them easily and sliding them off. Arthur's mouth had moved to Merlin's jaw again, kissing and biting as he moved down his neck. Merlin slipped his hand inside Arthur's briefs and wrapped his hand around him, making Arthur groan against his neck. God he was hard and big, just like Merlin knew he would be. He teased him, rubbing his thumb against the head and Arthur moaned as he tore at Merlin's pants, sliding them down to his ankles. Arthur stepped on them and lifted Merlin up and out of them, his hands quickly finding Merlin's ass. His large hands gripping each cheek perfectly and squeezing and Merlin let out the sexiest little moan that nearly sent Arthur over the edge.

"Condom," Merlin gasped, rubbing his own cock against Arthur's.

"Fuck" Arthur growled and kissed Merlin hard before disappearing down the hall.

Merlin stood against the wall, stark naked against the cool surface and leaned his head back, gasping for breath. This was happening, it wasn't a dream, it was real and he didn't dare question it because he was so afraid that the very straight Arthur would realize what he was doing and stop. Merlin closed his eyes, biting his lip and trying not to play with himself while he waited, god he had wanted this for so long.

Arthur reappeared, momentarily pausing to look at Merlin leaning against the wall. His back was slightly arched, head thrown back and eyes closed as his fingers trailed over his erection. His pale skin stood out against the dark corridor and he was cloaked in the perfect balance of shadow and light. If he had had a camera, Arthur would have taken a picture but instead he stored the image away for later and grabbed Merlin by the hips again as he kissed him.

Merlin gasped, he hadn't heard Arthur approach but he didn't think he'd hear much beyond the blood pumping through his veins at the moment. Arthur kissed him hungrily and massaged his hips.

"Oh god," Merlin gasped, the curve of his hips being one of his biggest turn on spots and Arthur had discovered it so quickly.

"I love your hips," Arthur purred as he grinded against Merlin. Suddenly, he turned Merlin around and Merlin could hear the sounds of the condom package being opened. The hall was silent for a moment, only their deep breathing disturbing it as Merlin bit his lip and waited. And then Arthur's hands were on his ass and he felt the cool, wet lube just as Arthur pushed inside of him. Merlin gasped, biting down hard on his lip. It had been too long since he'd been with someone and the pain surprised him.

"You ok?" Arthur asked gently, he hadn't moved since his initial thrust, Merlin had tensed and he could tell he was in pain.

"Yea," he whispered and pushed against him, rotating his hips slowly as he adjusted and then the pain gave way to the pleasure that shot through his body and he let out a loud moan, melting against Arthur. Arthur moved with Merlin's hips slowly at first, gripping his hips with both hands and then slowly started picking up speed. Soon he was thrusting into him with all his strength, one hand sliding up Merlin's sweat covered chest and wrapping around his chin. He turned his face to him and kissed him hard on the mouth as they moved together. Their bodies fit perfectly together; Merlin was the perfect height making it easier and more comfortable for both of them.

"Arthur," Merlin gasped, pulling away and pushing his hips hard against Arthur, "god Arthur!" He screamed and Arthur's knees buckled, god he loved to hear him scream like that. Arthur moaned and slid his other hand around Merlin's front and wrapped his hand around Merlin's cock. He pumped him in time with his thrusts and Merlin moaned louder yet.

"Arthur... I'm..." he stammered, "I'm going to cum." He moaned and Arthur buried his face in Merlin's back.

"Cum with me," he murmured and thrust deeper in, both of them exploding with ecstasy at the same moment.

Neither man moved for a moment, too desperate for air and lost in the pleasure to move. Merlin let his head fall back against Arthur's shoulder and Arthur wrapped both arms around his stomach.

"1... 2... 3" Arthur warned and Merlin sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled out and then collapsed against him. "Shit Merlin..." he groaned, kissing Merlin's shoulder and admiring the way the light reflected off the layer of sweat that coated his body.

"Arthur..." Merlin whispered and gripped Arthur's arms. Emotion flooded him and he clenched his teeth against the sudden wave of feelings that came over him. He had already fallen for him, it was clear now, just how hard he had fallen for his boss, his stupid, Prince of Prats. "Don't let go..." he managed to get out, his voice trembling a bit and Arthur held onto him tighter.

"I'm never going to let you go Merlin," Arthur whispered back, "I promise."

Short but hopefully you guys enjoyed it!


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Merlin lay awake in Arthur's arms, watching the man sleep, and grinning as he snored in his sleep. He watched the way the morning sunlight danced across his golden hair and he couldn't help himself from reach up and running his hand through it.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asked, his eyes still closed as Merlin jumped and pulled his hand guiltily away.

"Nothing," he said quickly and grinned as Arthur opened one eye and looked at him.

"You're watching me sleep," he pointed out and Merlin shrugged.

"So what if I am?"

Arthur smiled, "I like it." He closed his eyes again and shifted, pulling Merlin closer to him so that he was nearly lying on top of him.

Merlin trailed his fingers across Arthur's chest, his index finger circling around each nipple and then trailed down his stomach, tracing the muscles and then the small trail of hair that disappeared beneath the sheet.

"Merlin," Arthur's voice sounded again but Merlin didn't look up this time, too engrossed in memorizing every detail of Arthur's body.

"Hmm?"

"You're turning me on," he stated bluntly and ran his own hand down Merlin's milky back, his hand tracing the curve of his ribs and hips.

"Mmm maybe that's what I was intending on," Merlin teased and kissed Arthur's tanned chest, tongue flicking out over his nipples.

"Mer_lin_" Arthur moaned and shifted again. Merlin could see the outline of the effect he was having on Arthur and grinned. He moved his mouth down his chest, kissing where his fingers had previously trailed until his lips brushed against the hem of the sheet. Arthur groaned and tightened his grip on Merlin's hip.

"Just lay still," Merlin ordered and gave him a wicked grin before kissing Arthur's hips and disappearing beneath the sheet. Moments later Arthur's eye flung open and he gasped with pleasure. Merlin's tongue teased up his shaft, circling the head before pulling him into his mouth.

"mmm Merlin," Arthur moaned and pushed his hips up to Merlin's mouth. Soon, he was panting and gripping the sheets, squirming under Merlin. God he was talented! Arthur moaned loudly and felt himself tensing as Merlin took the full length of him in. He could feel the hot, wet back of Merlin's throat and it was just too much. "Merlin!" Arthur gasped and Merlin moaned loudly against him, sending him over the edge and cumming hard into his mouth. Merlin continued to suck, extending the orgasm, as he swallowed, licking every last drop up before popping his head out from under the sheet.

"Happy Christmas Arthur," he said grinning, his lips glistening.

"That... that was definitely a happy Christmas" Arthur laughed and pulled Merlin on to him, kissing him gently. "You are absolutely the most clumsy, terrible assistant ever but what you just did with your mouth... I'll never be able to look at your lips again!" Arthur confessed and Merlin blushed, but grinned proudly.

"Have you always been... with men?" Arthur asked hesitantly. This wasn't really a topic fit for post-oral sex conversation but he had to know.

"Yea," Merlin folded his hands on Arthur's chest and rested his chin on top of them. "You haven't though right? Morgana told me about your college days," he teased, grinning as Arthur looked away, embarrassed.

"That woman has no boundaries!" He hissed and shook his head, "no, I've... you're the first man I've ever been with but," he paused, his gaze finally settling on Merlin again, "I've always been attracted to men but it was never an option. I don't hate sex with women... it's... alright. It's definitely not this, but it always did the job and I never really questioned it. I," he blushed again and smiled bashfully, "I did have a small crush on Lance at one point when he first started at Camelot. I never acted on it of course, it freaked me out way to much but..." he trailed off, not sure if he should continue.

"Did Lance know?"

"That I wanted to shag him? God no," Arthur laughed.

"I think you'd be surprised actually," Merlin shifted, "he's been making comments to me for months now about..."

"About what?" Arthur quickly asked, brows furrowed.

"Well about you and, and the way you treat me." Merlin explained, "Him and Morgana both... I think... well Lance knows I'm gay but I don't know about anyone else. I think though that they both knew that I... that I had a thing for you for a while and maybe they..." Merlin trailed off, not sure if he could say what he was thinking. What if this was just a one-time thing for Arthur? Just an experiment to see how it would be?

"Spit it out Merlin," Arthur urged, poking him in the ribs and making him squeak.

"Just that I think they knew that you... that you might have wanted me too." He finished, unable to meet Arthur's eyes.

"Probably... Morgana is too clever for her own good and she picks up on a lot that others don't. She's always known what I was feeling before I knew."

"So... you've wanted me for a while then?" Merlin queried.

"Are you a complete idiot? Of course I have! Ever since that day you showed up in my office wearing that ridiculous outfit with those silly converse shoes I thought you were attractive. And then you yelled at me," Arthur smiled, remembering that day fondly, "You called me a stupid ninny and a giant prat. I was so speechless at your inability to come up with a decent insult that I realized I liked you already."

"Really?" Merlin looked at him surprised, "all this time, you've been interested? You never let on... not until recently anyway."

"Yea well, dating in the work place is against our employment agreements and especially for me, to be sleeping with a subordinate. My father would have a coronary if he found out." Arthur said rather sadly. "What about you? When did you realize I was this handsome?" He asked, teasing smile toying at the corner of his lips. Merlin rolled his eyes and rested his ear against Arthur's chest.

"Well I am a gay man. I noticed you were attractive right away but I honestly really did think you were a big prat. A big, arrogant, snobby prat who was so spoiled he didn't know how to tie his own shoes." Arthur gaped at Merlin. "I guess I fell for you over the past year. I'm not sure when exactly but I know that night, on my birthday, I wanted you so bad it hurt. I couldn't tell you though and I wasn't going to be the one to initiate it. You're the straight man that everyone falls for so I tried to ignore it." Merlin explained. Arthur remained silent, his fingers absently stroking through Merlin's hair as he looked out the window.

"Do you think of me differently now?" He asked quietly. Was this just physical? Did Merlin simply just want to have a quick shag and then what?

"Yes, very differently." Merlin agreed, "You're still a prat but you're _my_ prat." Merlin looked back at Arthur and smiled. Arthur smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"And you're my idiot." Arthur replied and Merlin kissed him back.

They spent the rest of the holiday morning in bed until finally Merlin was so fiercely arguing a case about starvation versus sex that Arthur agreed to get out of bed and get something to eat.

"I'm going to wash up quickly," Merlin said and walked into the bathroom that was just off the bedroom.

"I'll be in the kitchen!" Arthur called back.

Quickly, Merlin brushed his teeth using the spare toothbrush that had been deemed his on his recent sleepovers. He found his shirt but it was so horribly torn that there was no mending it so instead; he rummaged in Arthur's dresser until he found an old Beatles shirt. Garbed in the borrowed shirt and his briefs, Merlin sauntered down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Mmm sexy," he said as he watched Arthur bend over to grab the eggs from the fridge. Unlike Merlin, Arthur hadn't bothered to put clothing back on. He wasn't planning on staying clothed for long enough for it to be worth the effort. He grinned at Merlin and looked at him wearing his favorite shirt. It was so old and ratty, full of holes, stains and the picture was fading and flecking off.

"Look at you," he smiled and pulled him to himself, kissing him.

"mmm food..." Merlin mumbled against Arthur's lips. "Man cannot live off sex alone!" Arthur laughed, "Alright, alright!"

"Please tell me you're not trying to cook?" Merlin asked as he took a seat on the bar stool across the large island in the center of the kitchen.

"Well genius, if you know of a place that's not only open but will deliver on Christmas morning, I'm all ears!" Arthur snipped back, "besides, I don't see you doing anything helpful!"

"Oh for pity's sake!" Merlin jumped down and pushed Arthur out from behind the island and sat him at the stool. "We both know that you are absolutely useless in the kitchen if it requires more than pouring a drink. I'll make us breakfast."

"Oh thank god!" Arthur sighed in relief, "I was afraid you were actually going to make me eat my own cooking!"

"Don't be silly Arthur, you might piss me off sometimes but I would never subject you or my worst enemy to such torture."

Merlin cooked them both a complete breakfast of omelettes stuffed with cheese, mushrooms, peppers, onions, garlic and ham in Arthur's, two pieces of toast and a side of strawberries. Arthur ate his happily, stuffing his mouth full of eggs, eating at a ridiculous pace. Merlin watched, eating slowly, wanting the morning to stretch on.

"Eat your breakfast Merlin," Arthur ordered, having grown tired of Merlin watching him eat. Merlin smiled weakly and finished eating.

"What time are you going to your father's?" Merlin asked, chewing his lip nervously.

"Not until this afternoon. We have plenty of time." Arthur pulled him into his lap and kissed him, brushing away the stray crumbs. "You should not shave more often; you look hot with a bit of shadow." He pointed out, rubbing his thumb against Merlin's stubbly cheek.

"It's itchy and I thought you said it made me look like a hobo," Merlin wrinkled his nose, scratching his other cheek. "And it's already past 12, how much time do we have?"

"Is it really?" Arthur turned and looked at the clock on the stove, "where did all the morning go?"

"Mmm in the sheets," Merlin murmured, kissing down Arthur's jaw and neck.

"Mmm yes, that seems likely," Arthur agreed, tilting his head to give Merlin access. Merlin slid all the way onto his lap, wrapping his legs around his waist and kissing his collar bone. "Merlin... I don't think I have time before Morgana comes by." He said, thoroughly disappointed. Merlin whimpered and grinded his hips against Arthur, his nails digging just slightly into his back. "Arg, Merlin!" Arthur moaned and grabbed him by his hair, pulling his mouth off him and looking at him. "You are insatiable!" Merlin grinned and kissed Arthur hard.

Grabbing Merlin by his thighs, Arthur stood up and set him down on the island. Merlin let out a little gasp, the cold marble icy against his bottom. The Beatles shirt was pulled off and discarded on the floor, quickly followed by Merlin's briefs.

"See, that's why I didn't bother getting dressed." Arthur teased against his neck, kissing Merlin's jaw and nipping on his earlobe. He sucked on his neck a little, wanting to mark him as his own.

"Yes, I see that now," he mumbled, his hands running down Arthur's shoulders and arms. He wrapped his legs around Arthur's waist, crossing his ankles and pulled Arthur to him. "I want you," Merlin breathed and Arthur, unable to bear making Merlin wait or do anything to displease him, pushed into him without objection. "Mmmm," he moaned and arched his back. Arthur leaned him back, his hand against Merlin's chest and he moved slowly deeper into him.

It was just starting to pick up when the elevator chimed.

"Arthur! I'm a bit early, I hope that's ok!" Morgana called out, looking down the hallway to Arthur's bedroom. The door was open and from what she could see, the bed empty. A crash sounded from the kitchen along with voices.

"Quick!" Arthur shoved Merlin's briefs into his hands. Merlin bent to put them on just as Morgana rounded the corner and Arthur pushed Merlin to the floor.

"Morgana! You're early!" Arthur shouted awkwardly.

"Arthur... you're naked." Morgana pointed out although she wasn't completely sure as the island was waist high and thankfully, blocked the rest of the view.

"Yes well, it is my house!" He pointed out, "You should have called or at least had the decency to have the doorman call up to let me know you were coming up."

"Well I didn't really think it was necessary" she replied just as annoyed and then stopped as she heard a shuffling noise. "Arthur... is there someone behind that island with you?" Her dark eyebrows raised and those piercing blue eyes might have intimidated anyone else, but Arthur was used to it. He would have been able to lie and have her wait in the lobby until he was dressed if it hadn't been for the ever graceful Merlin who managed to successfully bang his head on the bar stool.

"What was that?" She asked and Arthur shifted, successfully kicking Merlin and causing another yelp.

"Nothing, I just stubbed my bloody toe," Arthur lied, feinting spontaneous injury.

"Don't be daft Arthur; I know there's someone down there."

"Yes well if that's the case than you should get on with it and I'll meet you in the library—I mean lobby!" Arthur's voice cracked as Merlin's hair brushed against his still hard cock.

"Oh common, who is it?! Is it someone from the party?" She asked, her eyes lighting up.

At this point, Merlin knew they were busted. Morgana was like a dog with a bone-she wouldn't stop until she knew exactly who was there. So he decided he might as well have fun with it and suddenly wrapped his mouth around Arthur.

"Ohhhh Jesus!" Arthur gasped, buckling and grabbing onto the island. "You... you" he stammered, "It isn't anyone you know!" He managed to get out just as Merlin growled against him, sending a current of vibration through him.

"Oh my god!" Morgana watched Arthur's expression go from annoyed to surprise to... a face she never, ever wanted to see on her brother. "Are they...?" She started, unable to stop herself, she dashed around the island. "MERLIN!" She screamed and Merlin bit down in surprise.

"Aahhh!" Arthur roared and shoved Merlin off, "holy Jesus of mother fucking Christ!" He howled, grabbing himself and leaning against the island.

"Oh my god Arthur I'm so sorry!" Merlin cried and Morgana burst out laughing, making Merlin grin like an idiot.

"It's not funny! You could have bitten it off!" He yelled which just made them laugh harder and Arthur stumbled away from them to bedroom. "I'm going to get dressed!"

"K!" Merlin called after him and accepted the briefs Morgana held out on her finger.

"Well, I see you two had an eventful evening... and morning." She said a smug smile on her face. Merlin blushed and grabbed the shirt off the floor.

"Yes well..." he dropped the shirt several times before he managed to put it on.

"It's backwards." Morgana pointed out and Merlin quickly fixed it. "So, you and my brother hmm? I've been telling Lance that you two needed to shag and get it over with! The sexual tension between you two... god it's enough to get anyone going."

"That's disgusting Morgana," Arthur growled as he emerged from the bedroom.

"I wasn't meaning you Arthur. Merlin is quite a looker and if I had thought for a moment that he was straight, I would have already gone after him."

Merlin blushed an even deeper red, which he didn't think was possible until now.

"Hands off Morg," Arthur warned and went for the coffee.

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it dear brother. No one would be foolish enough to come between the two of you, even if they thought they possibly stood a chance with Merlin." She offered and smiled sweetly at her brother.

"Do I need to warn you not to tell father about this?"

"Hardly. I won't say a thing to him; you know he has a bad heart, in more ways than one."

"Good, father wouldn't look on you so kindly if he discovered you and Leon." Arthur threatened, his arms folded across his chest.

"I will not tell our foolish father about you and Merlin not for the sake of my relationship with Leon," Morgana said angrily, stepping up to her big brother and staring him in the eyes, "but because you deserve to be happy Arthur, both of you do." She finished kindly, touching Arthur's cheek affectionately and smiling at Merlin.

"Thank you," both men said and she stepped back, placing her hands behind her back.

"Now, unfortunately Merlin, that means that we need to go and you are not able to come with us."

"Right, I'll get my things." Merlin said and disappeared in the bedroom. Moments later he came out, dressed in his dress pants and pulling his vest on over the Beatles shirt. "I need to borrow this shirt Arthur; you destroyed the one I was wearing before." He explained and held up the shredded grey cloth. Morgana snickered and Arthur grabbed the material from him.

"That will be fine." He smiled and the three of them disappeared in the elevator.

"Can I stop by tonight?" Arthur asked as he gripped Merlin's arm, unable to hug him in public but needing to embrace him in some way.

"Yea, of course. I don't have anything happening," Merlin replied, forcing himself to sound braver than he felt. Christmas... alone.

"Alright, good. I would kiss you goodbye but..." Arthur trailed off and Merlin smiled sadly.

"It's ok, have a good Christmas with your family."

"I'll see you later idiot."

Merlin watched Arthur and Morgana get into the car and drive off. He didn't feel like hailing a cab and instead, chose to walk the fifteen blocks between is apartment and Arthur's. It was sprinkling rain and Merlin tightened his coat around him, bloody England, he thought to himself. He passed by the apartments quickly and was in the business district again in moments. All the stores were dark; their holiday window displays the only light as they flashed against the glass. Merlin glanced at a few as the memories of his childhood Christmases filled his thoughts. He remembered the first Christmas that he actually remembered, he had only been three but he was so excited. He smiled as he remembered his mother smiling happily as she watched him tear into his gift. For several years, there had only ever been presents for Merlin under the tree and never more than three or four. His mother was single, her parents having passed long before Merlin was born and his father, she said, gone missing and was dead for all she know. For the longest of time, it had just been the two of them, his mother giving him everything that she could possible give. It had been hard on her though. They weren't rich by any means, his mother worked two jobs just so they could pay their bills and Merlin spent his days with Will and his parents. Merlin worked hard in school, he knew he would never go to college if he didn't get some kind of scholarship. He managed to get enough scholarships and loans to pay his way through Oxford and he managed by working at the university's book store.

Merlin brushed the tears that were falling down his face away and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. He noticed then the open sign blinking in the window of the animal rescue and quickly crossed the abandoned street.

"Hello," the girl said merrily as he came in, brushing off the water and shaking.

"It's so cold outside," Merlin complained.

"I know. I've made some tea if you'd like some!" She offered and Merlin smiled at her. She was a small woman, her black hair curled in dreadlocks that were tied in a ponytail with a Christmas ribbon. She wore yellow horn rimmed glasses and several layers of clothing as she sat behind the desk.

"I'd love some, thanks," he walked over to the desk and looked around at the cages surrounding him. They were filled with cats, meowing loudly at the visitor and he could hear the barking of dogs coming from the back. "Must be terrible having to work on the holiday," he offered in sympathy and she smiled.

"I don't have anyone to spend it with and I thought, well, neither do these guys so I might as well come spend it with them. I figured it couldn't hurt to open the store either." She explained, pouring two cups of tea and sliding one towards Merlin.

"That's nice," Merlin mused and sipped the tea, "mmm warm," he closed his eyes and inhaled the peppermint scent, "thanks."

"You're welcome." Her voice was a bit airy, like Merlin had just woke her up from a pleasant dream and she wasn't fully awake yet. She reminded him a bit of Loony Luna from Harry Potter in the way that she stared at him but didn't seem to be seeing him at all.

"Are all these animals up for adoption?" He asked, thinking now how it would be very nice not to have to spend the day alone, maybe he could spend it with a cat.

"Oh yes," she nodded, "and there are dogs through those doors."

"Mind if I look around?"

"Not at all!"

Merlin nodded and slowly walked over to the closet set of cages, the cup of tea clamped tightly in his hands. The cats meowed; some poked their hands out of the bars, pawing at him. Others rubbed their heads against the cage, wanting him to come scratch behind their ears. They were all adorable, some white, some tabby, black, orange, all different colors. He felt bad for them, having to live their lives in these sad cages waiting for someone to take them home. He walked around, looking at them all but stopped as he came across a beautiful tabby. He was brown and gold with radiant black strips across him and on his face, the black marks framed his eyes perfectly, giving him a mystical look. The kitten hissed at Merlin and then immediately began purring, rubbing against the cage walls. Merlin stuck his fingers in the cage and the kitten eagerly rubbed his head against them, looking at Merlin with a face that seemed to say, "I'm sad too".

"Would I be able to take him home today?" Merlin asked, calling over his shoulder.

"Yes," the girl said as she appeared at his side, "if you don't have a carrier, we have a temporary one that you can take."

"What about food and litter? All the stores are closed today, I won't be able to get any until tomorrow..." He sighed, he really wanted this strangle little kitty.

"I can give you a little bit if you want. This guy has been here since he was born, don't know why, he's so beautiful." She mused as she scratched under his chin.

"Really? That's so sad..."

Minutes later, Merlin was standing on the sidewalk, waving down a cab with one hand while he held the crate and bag of food, litter and litter box in his other hand.

"Thanks!" Merlin slid into the cab and gave the driver his address, grateful that he had managed to catch the cab.

"Alright sweetie," Merlin purred as he unlocked his door, looking at the kitten, "welcome to your new home!" He said happily and pushed open the door. He nearly dropped the crate as Will stood up from the couch.


	14. Chapter 13

Ok so I know Im posting up chapters like a mad man, I've been sitting in the same spot for the past five hours writing and editing the parts I've already written. Basically everything from chapter 9-14 has already been written, so I'm just editing, adding little bits and what not. Sorry for over posting. Also, there is a chapter that is chapter 9.5 but for some reason, it keeps posting chapter 9 instead of the little blurb that I had for 9.5, so in case it hasn't corrected itself, or if I can't correct it, here is what you missed:

Chapter 9.5

Arthur sat in his car after dropping Merlin off and gripped the steering wheel, telling himself to take deep breaths. What was happening? He had just had the best day of his entire life and it had been with Merlin. Not like that was a problem for most people but it was for Arthur. Merlin was his employee and a _guy_. But there was something at Merlin that made his insides burn, something that made him feel viciously possessive of him. And when Merlin had joked that he loved him he felt like the wind had been kicked out of him. He didn't _love_ Merlin, not like that. He did _like_ Merlin, even would go so far as to say that he was a close friend but he didn't like him in that way, did he? He had to stop thinking like this.

Chapter Thirteen

"Will..." Merlin set his bags down and looked at his old friend, his stomach flipping with fear and also happiness at seeing him. He hadn't spoken to him in so long.

"Hey..." he said weakly and looked at the crate, "got yourself a cat did you?"

"yea," Merlin nodded and shut the door. "Happy Christmas..."

"You too... where yea been?"

"I just went out for a walk," he lied, hoping Will wouldn't notice the hickies on his neck as he removed his scarf and coat.

"Long walk, been gone all night."

"How long you been here?" Merlin frowned.

"I stopped by last night around ten... thought... thought I'd come see how you were doin'... I know this was your mum's favorite holiday and all."

"Oh," Merlin nodded and opened the fridge, "want something to drink?" he offered

"No, I'm good. I made tea. So where you been Merlin?"

"Morgana threw a Christmas party last night..." he explained, hoping Will wouldn't press. He wanted to make up with Will not start another row by confessing he had finally done the one thing Will had said he would never forgive him for if he did do.

"Party go all night?"

Merlin blushed, "kind of."

"Meet someone?" Will pressed, his tone was light but Merlin could see the judgement in his eyes.

"Yea, so what if I did? I spent the night at his place, what's it to you?" He was sick of Will's self righteous attitude. He didn't know Arthur or anyone at Camelot, how dare he judge them!

"Is that Arthur's shirt then?" He gestured with his chin at the t-shirt, "and his love bites?" Merlin flushed and quickly covered the marks with his hand.

"Will can't we just let this go? It's Christmas and I've missed you!" Merlin tried to move him away from the subject of his previous night's activities.

"No Merlin, I can't! You're shagging the devil's son!" Will yelled, his arms unfolding from his chest and hands tightening into fists at his side.

"Arthur is nothing like his father!" Merlin yelled back, slamming his glass down on the counter. "Bloody hell Will!"

"So you are sleeping' with Arthur then?"

"It's none of your business!"

"It sure as hell is! You're like my brother Merlin! I promised your mum I'd look out for yea and here yea are, shackin' up with the boss' son! The very man who put nearly everyone in our village out of a job! My father lost his job because of him!" Will yelled angrily, his Irish brogue becoming more pronounced in his anger.

"It wasn't like that Will!" Merlin defended, he was so sick of this! He had asked Arthur about this, of course he didn't explain why or tell him that it was something so close to him, but Arthur had regretted what Uther had done. He fought him hard on closing down the plant, even tried to offer up ways to help turn a profit but Uther had made up his mind. It didn't matter to Uther that the two hundred plus employees that worked there were about to lose their job, that families would lose savings, homes and even some, their lives. Will was one of those people. First it was his father's job, then the house and then his father as he buried his anger in alcohol. Eventually, he had killed himself and Will swore he would never forgive the Pendragons for what they did. Driven by revenge, Will pushed himself just as hard as Merlin did in school so that he could become a lawyer. He would fight against large corporations from buying out small businesses and destroying them and when Merlin had taken the job at Camelot, Will couldn't forgive him. "He tried to save the plant Will!"

Will laughed bitterly, "You really think that? You are an idiot! 'Course he'd say he did, he won't ever take the responsibility of his actions!"

"Shut up Will!" Merlin screamed, the anger too much, "stop it! Just STOP IT!" He turned and punched the cabinet, effectively cracking the wood. "FUCK!" Merlin yelled, grabbing his hand. He'd felt the crunch of his knuckles and already they were swelling and turning an angry purple.

"Shit Merlin!" Will growled and came over to him, trying to take his hand. Merlin pulled it away, "don't be an idiot! Let me see." He grabbed Merlin's wrist making him wince as he looked at the hand. "You're such a moron Merlin; you've busted your hand!"

"Yea well it's your fault." He spat, glaring at Will. Will sighed heavily and looked up at his friend.

"I'm sorry Merlin, I just... you know how I feel about them."

"I do but I don't feel that way about Arthur, he's a good man and..." he trailed off, "you walked out on me Will." He said as large tears rolled down his cheeks. "You just left you were so blinded by your hate. My mum died and then you were gone... It's been a year! I didn't have anyone Will! It was supposed to be me and you," he cried and Will's hard face softened as he watched Merlin crumble.

"I didn't mean to leave like that," he admitted and pulled Merlin to him, "I just... I was so angry. I felt like they were taking you away from me too. It was happening all over again. I was watchin' you work your ass off, you did everythin' and then every night you'd come home, rantin' about how Arthur never cared, never thanked you..." he explained, rubbing Merlin's back.

"I know..." Merlin sniffed and pulled away.

"Let's get yea to hospital," Will said, looking at his hand again.

"I need to let Kilgharrah out of his cage and set up the litter and everything first."

"Kilgharrah?" Will asked, smiling at the ridiculous name and Merlin shrugged.

"I thought it was a cool name..."

"Let me set it up," he opened the cage and Kilgharrah slowly crept out, crawling nervously as he looked around. Will took out the bag of food and grabbed two bowls from the kitchen, filling one with water and the other with the food and set them on the floor. He set up the litter and left it in the living room so it would be easy for Kil to find. "Alright, let's go."

Arthur ignored Morgana's incessant questions about his relationship with Merlin. Were they just sleeping together? Were they dating now? Did he love Merlin? What would happen if Uther found out? Was Arthur gay now? Or was Merlin just that exception to the rule?

He refused to answer questions, telling her it was none of her business but in truth it had nothing to do with that. He probably would have answered her questions if he had any of the answers but he didn't. He had no idea what any of this meant. Now that Merlin wasn't in front of him looking so beautiful and distracting, his mind was starting to clear past the fog of lust and he was left with endless questions. What did this mean? He asked himself if it really was just a onetime thing but immediately he knew the answer to that—it wasn't. He knew he still wanted Merlin and not just for sex, though the sex was unbelievable, he liked Merlin. He truly enjoyed having him in his life and the evenings they had spent together in the last few months, laughing, watching TV and just spending time with each other were something he cherished. No, this wasn't a fling, Arthur cared deeply for Merlin but did he love him? He thought of his past relationships, there were very few and only one that had ever been somewhat serious. His father had introduced him to Sophia, the daughter of an old family friend and Arthur had liked her well enough. They had spent a great deal of time together and Sophia had said she loved him, Arthur had said the same thing but the truth was he never felt it. He liked her and considered her a friend, and even though he was a little attracted to her, he never felt passionate about her... not like he felt about Merlin. Every other 'relationship' before had just been a fling, something to help release the sexual tension but Arthur had never loved anyone before.

"Happy Christmas," Uther said as he greeted his children, pulling them both into an embrace. Morgana and Arthur hugged him back.

"Happy Christmas Father," they mumbled and walked into the manor. Uther's house, their childhood home, was a large manor just outside the heart of London, and was far larger than needed. The house had well over fifteen bedrooms, eight bathrooms, two kitchens, several sitting rooms, an indoor pool and hot tub and that was just inside. Outside, there were stables where the family horses lived, though the only one who rode them regularly was Morgana. Then there was the pool, the tennis court and gardens. It was ridiculous, Arthur often thought, there was only three of them after all! It wasn't like they actually needed so much space in fact the effect actually made the house seem incredibly empty and cold. Uther had the decorators adorn the house in a medieval style so there were suits of armor throughout the house, the walls dark and gloomy and the floor a cold marble. There were few decorations, as there usually were, Uther despised tacky decorations and so there were only a few lights, some evergreen garland and holly scattered about. In the main sitting room that Uther led his children into, there was the traditional family Christmas tree, a blue spruce, decorated with deep reds, gold and silver and around the base lay several dozen presents. A fire roared in the fire place, casting an orange glow around the room that would have made most people feel cozy but instead made Arthur aware of the chill in the air. Across the floor lay various animal skins turned into carpets, the high back couch and chairs standing out starkly against the wood walls. Above the mantel, two swords crossed with a shield hung, the silver shield displaying the red crest of the Pendragon family. On either side of the entrance stood too suits of armor, frozen in their position of guard. The five large windows that normally were shut away with heavy drapes were instead allowing the gloomy light of the afternoon shine through and Arthur wondered darkly if his father intentionally made the house look as scary and dark as it did.

"How was your party?" Uther asked of Morgana as she took her usual seat beside Arthur on the couch. Uther sat in the black leather wing backed chair.

"It was delightful! We had a wonderful time and lots of people came. I got some of the most beautiful gifts." She smiled, "I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves."

"Excellent, I'm glad to hear that." He nodded and rang the small bell on the coffee table. Moments later, their father's servant appeared.

"Yes sir?" He asked with a bow.

"Make us some drinks please, mimosas?" Uther asked the two and they each nodded. "Three then, thank you." The servant bowed again and disappeared, moments later returning with the three drinks and setting them down in front of each. "You're quiet this morning Arthur." Uther pointed out and Arthur looked up from his thoughts.

"Hmm yes, sorry father, I didn't sleep well last night," he responded, which was true, he really didn't get much sleep.

"Up too late drinking I suppose?" Uther teased and Morgana smiled wickedly.

"Oh yes, Arthur didn't leave the party until after midnight and from what I saw this morning, he certainly was up all night."

"Please Morgana," Uther raised his hand and shook his head, "I hardly need to hear about my children's one night stands." Arthur gave Morgana a glare that would have stopped the bravest of people.

"Yes, please Morgana, do shut up."

"Come now, children it's Christmas, let us have nice afternoon and dinner without any bickering." Uther urged and the two sighed, giving into their father's wishes.

The afternoon dragged on as they exchanged gifts, spoke of their future vacations (Uther saying they should go to the mountains in the New Year to go skiing) and eventually, as always, their conversation circled around to work.

"I've hired a new assistant for you Arthur," Uther stated and Arthur nearly choked on his ham.

"What?! Why? Merlin is a perfectly acceptable assistant," he said, panic in his voice.

"Yes, he is an acceptable assistant but I was thinking of actually promoting him." Uther explained, "He seems to show a great deal of promise in dealings with remodelling businesses. He will of course still work with you, you two are an odd pairing but it seems you make a good team, at least for our bottom line. I'd like him to move away from menial assistant work and focus strictly on working with you on the development projects so I've hired an assistant to take on those tasks that he will no longer need to fill. Mordred will take over running your errands, as a junior assistant. Technically, Merlin will be his boss but you'll be responsible for both of them. How does that sound?"

Arthur looked at his father, speechless. Had he actually just admitted that Merlin was good at his job?

"I think that's an excellent idea father," he said honestly, "I think Merlin will be quite pleased with the idea. I know that he's worked hard and his real passion lies with business law. I think he'll be happy to get the chance to use those skills more and not have to fetch my dry cleaning."

"Good!" Uther raised his glass, "then it's settled. I will have Gaius draw up the paper work after the holidays."

"Will he get a raise?" Arthur inquired, suddenly feeling very nervous. Just this morning they had slept together and now Merlin was getting a promotion and potentially a raise. He wondered if he would think it was only because of the change in their relationship.

"Of course, I should think a 30% increase on his wages should be sufficient."

Arthur nodded, taking a sip of his wine and looking at Morgana who was clearing thinking the same thing, her own worries reflected in her eyes.

Arthur collapsed into the car, leaning his head back against the head rest and let out a loud sigh. Finally, the evening was over. It had dragged on endlessly and all he wanted to do was go to Merlin's to be with him. He hadn't managed to figure anything out beyond the fact that he knew he cared a great deal for the man but everything else was still a black void of unknown.

"That was... absolutely the most painful Christmas day of my life," Arthur sighed to Morgana as the car pulled away.

"It did seem to pass rather slowly didn't it? I imagine you were just itching to escape to Merlin." She pushed her hair out of her face and pulled out her compact mirror, checking her makeup in the reflection.

"Yes and I take it you're going to be spending the evening with Lance?" Arthur asked, smiling over at his step-sister.

"Hmm perhaps. What do you think of this business with Merlin's promotion?"

"I don't know," Arthur groaned and rubbed his face, "on one hand I'm shocked and glad that he's getting it, that Father's finally seen his potential but on the other hand... after last night... I don't want him thinking that the two things are connected in any way. It's bad enough that I'm his boss but now it looks like I'm abusing my position as well."

"True, that is how it would appear to anyone else but I'm sure if you explain it to Merlin, that you had nothing to do with it..."

"But I did," Arthur exclaimed, "last week Uther pulled me into his office and had asked me about Merlin's performance. I thought he was just asking because it was time for his job to be up for review."

"Oh Arthur you _didn't_!" Morgana snapped the compact shut and stared at him in disbelief.

"Don't you dare repeat this to Merlin!" Arthur warned, "but I told him that Merlin was exceptional, that he had proven himself invaluable and that he went far above the duty of an ordinary assistant." Morgana groaned, "I know! I told him that... that he shouldn't be working as simple secretary but that he should be doing more..."

"Oh you idiot Arthur!" Morgana slapped his arm.

"How was I supposed to know he'd actually listen to me?! He's never listened to me before and it's not like I _planned_ on sleeping with Merlin, it just happened."

"But you knew you had feelings for him!"

"Yes! But fuck Morgana, this is why employees don't get involved with each other! Especially bosses with their subordinates! Christ if Merlin doesn't feel the same way... the sexual harassment claim he could make..." Arthur ran a shaking hand through his hair and stared out the window.

"Merlin would never do something like that Arthur, he cares about you far more than you could possible know. It won't be Merlin who screws this up and you know it. He's the best thing that's ever happened to you—don't you dare mess it up!" Morgana ordered. Arthur knew she was right, but he had no idea what to do. Things were quickly becoming too complicated.

The ride back into the city took far longer than Arthur had hoped. Traffic had picked up significantly as people made their way back to their own homes and it took several hours before Arthur was making his way up the stairs to Merlin's flat.

He knocked loudly and leaned against the door frame, removing his gloves.

"Arthur..." Will opened the door and looked at tall blonde standing in the doorway looking exceptionally tired.

"Will," he frowned, when did Will and Merlin make up?

"Come in," he moved aside, allowing Arthur to walk inside and immediately his eyes found Merlin, curled up on the couch, his hand wrapped in a cast.

"Merlin! What the devil did you do to your hand?!" He asked, rushing to him and reaching for the injured arm.

"I slipped on some ice and fell, broke it in three places." Merlin lied, not wanting to explain the real reason for his broken hand.

"_Mer_lin you idiot! You're completely hopeless aren't you?" Arthur teased and sighed heavily. He stood up and removed his coat, "It's good to see you Will." He said and extended his hand. Will stared at him, eyes narrowed as he tried to breathe past the seething rage.

"Yea," he said, "call me tomorrow Merlin", he turned away from Arthur and grabbed his coat, shutting the front door behind him.

"Did I do something?" Arthur asked, looking over at Merlin who shrugged.

"Sorry, he's just... not a fan of the Pendragons." Merlin explained cryptically, "how was your day?"

"Terrible, I couldn't stop thinking about you and how I was missing out on a whole day with you." Arthur sat down and pulled Merlin to him. Merlin grinned and looked up at him.

"Really?"

Arthur rolled his eyes and looked over, noticing for the first time the ball of fur in Merlin's lap. "What the hell is that?"

"Oh! This is Kilgharrah!"

"Kilgharrah? The Great Dragon?" Arthur raised his eyebrow, looking at the tiny little fuzz ball.

"Yes," Merlin beamed, pleased he got the reference, "I got him this afternoon. I stopped in at this rescue and I fell in love with him. I couldn't let him spend the holidays alone."

"Ah, I see," Arthur reached down and stroked the smooth fur. "And when did Will show up?"

"He's been here since last night apparently. He wanted to talk and try to work things out."

"I told you he would see reason eventually," Arthur smiled, glad that Merlin's old friend was back in his life.

"Well... I don't think he's there yet... I don't know if anything's really changed actually. When he found out that you and I were together he lost it." Merlin sighed.

"I know he doesn't like me very much but I really hope that that wouldn't cause him to change his view of you." Arthur said gently, looking into Merlin's grey eyes sadly.

"Me too," he whispered and looked to the door. "Arthur... he's lost a lot because of your father." Merlin said honestly and Arthur's eyes quickly changed with confusion.

"What has my father ever done to Will?"

"That plant that you guys took over a few years ago in Ireland, do you remember that?" Merlin asked.

"That one you asked me about last year?"

"Yea."

"What does that have anything to do with Will?"

"His father worked at that plant Arthur and at the time, you were the one doing the closing." Merlin explained and Arthur pulled away.

"I told you that my father didn't give me a choice Merlin," he responded rather defensively.

"_I_ know that Arthur, but Will won't listen. A few months after the plant shut down, Will's family lost their house and then a bit later, his father committed suicide. They lost everything."Merlin couldn't meet Arthur's gaze. He knew what these words would do to him, he knew the guilt he would feel.

"Shit..." Arthur pulled away completely, stoodup and rubbed his chin, "I had no idea..." he looked down at Merlin, his eyes filled with pain and regret.

"I know you didn't... and I know it wasn't your fault but it wasn't just Will's family who lost everything. Our whole village became a ghost town after that, that plant was the main source of employment and Will holds you responsible for that. He blames you and your father and all corporations like your's for destroying his family's life."

"Fuck," Arthur gritted his teeth and looked at the door, there was nothing he could ever say to Will to make it right. He had remembered the day his father ordered him to shut it down. He had tried everything and in the end, his father had told him that if he didn't do as he was ordered, he would not only be fired but would be stripped of the Pendragon name, disowning him. Arthur had done as he was ordered but he never stopped feeling guilty. He knew that what they were doing would cause damages that they would never be able to repair but he had turned it off in himself, pushed it away and forced himself not to care. He couldn't care and do his job. Now here it was, the results of his actions coming full circle and causing Merlin pain.

"There's nothing you can do about it now Arthur," Merlin stood up and wrapped his arms around his waist, "this is something Will needs to work out on his own. He just needs some more time." Arthur nodded and rested his chin against Merlin's head, closing his eyes and holding on to him tightly.

"There's something else I need to talk to you about Merlin," Arthur said finally and pulled away, "a few things actually."

"Yea... I think we should talk about this... what's going on here." Merlin agreed and sat down.

"I want to start by saying that last night was not just a onetime thing, I don't want it to be anyway." Arthur started and began pacing, "but I don't know what's happening. I don't know what I feel Merlin and I need you to be patient with me while I sort it out, alright?"

"Yea, alright." Merlin agreed, of course he would. He knew how confusing it was when he first discovered his feelings for another man. "And I want you to know that I don't want it to have just been last night either. I care about you Arthur and... I'd like it if we could continue seeing each other."

"Good," Arthur nodded, "now the thing is that no one can know about this at work Merlin. It isn't just a scandal, but we could both lose our jobs. People will think I'm abusing my power, using you and they will think that you're using me to move up the corporate ladder."

Merlin scoffed, "it's hardly a move up the corporate ladder, being an assistant!" Arthur stopped pacing and looked at Merlin.

"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about..." Arthur drew in a deep breath, "I didn't know that this would happen Merlin and I need you to believe me when I say that how I feel about you bares no influence over my opinion of you as a boss. I will not treat you any differently than any other employee and will show you no favoritism or abuse, nor have I in the past. Any promotions, raises, job reviews are done not as your boyfriend but because you deserve them as an employee." His tone was incredibly serious and Merlin would have teased him if his stomach hadn't started twisting nervously so suddenly.

"Arthur, I know you're not going to favor me at work, this doesn't change our work relationship." Merlin assured.

"That's just it Merlin, our work relationship has changed. My father had me provide a review of your work a few weeks ago. I thought it was just standard, every year we have to do it for all our employees and I thought nothing of it but I didn't realize what my father intended to do with it."

"What are you saying Arthur?" Merlin stood up, afraid he was about to lose his job.

"My father is creating a junior operations manager position and giving you the job." Arthur stated flatly and Merlin stared at him.

''You can't be serious?"

"I am, and a 30% salary increase." Arthur nodded, waiting for Merlin to ask if this was just because he had slept with him.

"That's brilliant!" Merlin grinned and then jumped on Arthur, hugging him tightly.

"You mean you're pleased?" Arthur asked, still slightly hestitant.

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm pleased! I'm ecstatic! Wait!" Merlin pulled away and frowned, Arthur drew in a breath, here it was, "does this mean I have to wear a suit every day?" Arthur laughed, relief flooding him as he realized Merlin truly didn't care.

"I'm not sure, you might at least be required to improve your current waredrobe a bit," he admited honestly and kissed Merlin. "So you aren't upset with me?"

"Why would I be upset with you Arthur?"

"Because of the timing of this... I mean it isn't exactly the most appropriate thing to happen immediately after last night."

"There's nothing about last night, or this morning that was appropriate," Merlin teased, "but I know that you would never do something like that Arthur. Just as I know that if we were ever to truly fight and you became angry with me, you wouldn't take it out on me at work." That last part wasn't entirely true Merlin knew, there had been times when Arthur had been angry with him and had punished him at work as a result. But it was different now, and besides, that was just Arthur's way, Merlin didn't let it bother him anymore. "Who will take over for me though? I seriously doubt you'll manage without an assistant. Do I still get to work with you?" Merlin asked, his mind racing with questions.

"My father has hired someone named Mordred, he's to be your assistant technicaly, as you will still be my assistant but Mordred will work for both of us really."

"Really? I get my own assistant?" Merlin grinned, revenger senarios playing in his head. "When does it start?"

"Not until after the holidays and you can't tell anyone about this! My father will want to speak with you on Monday and you need to act completely surprised when he offers you the job."

"Of course," Merlin nodded and flopped back down, pulling Kilgharrah into his lap again, "so will I get my own office?"

"I don't know," Arthur smiled and sat down next to Merlin, "but enough about work. What would you like to do tonight?" He wrapped his arm around Merlin and pulled him to him.

"heh," Merlin grinned and looked at him, "you."


	15. Chapter 14

Ok, I promise I'm going to post like... one or two more chapters tonight! I just want to get them up so that I can go back to actually writing now :P Please review-let me know what you think of Mordred!

Chapter Fourteen

Merlin and Arthur spent the rest of the holidays together, thoroughly enjoying their three days off of work and spending most of it in bed. They did manage to venture out to do some light Boxing Day shopping and Merlin splurged on some new clothes. Arthur managed to not do too much work, though the success of this was mostly due to Merlin distracting him in one way or the other any time he tried to do any work. It was in fact, the best three days Merlin and Arthur had ever had yet. They spoiled Kilgharrah, buying him dozens of toys, treats and cooking him special meals that Merlin would never be able to make again once work started due to the sever lack of time.

Sunday night, they agreed that Arthur should go back to his own place in order to get some distance before having to go back to pretending to be nothing more than coworkers. Merlin hardly slept, he was nervous about the next day. He had a meeting with Uther, who had called earlier that day to request to meet with him first thing Monday morning. He would be meeting Mordred and would have to train him as quick as possible and on top of all that, he would have to make sure he didn't jump his boss every time he saw him.

Drawing in a deep breath, Merlin looked at his reflection in his full length mirror. He was wearing some of the new clothes he had bought and smiled at his reflection. He wore black leather biker boots with his black jeans tucked into them, a silver belt held the jeans to his hips, were they sat low and snug. He wore a white t-shirt, a swirly black design on the front with a black suit vest. Around his neck, he wore the silk blue cravat Arthur had given him. He knew that Arthur would go nuts, he thought as he turned and looked at his ass, the jeans made it look fairly good, but he couldn't help it. He wanted Arthur to want him and he wanted to look good too. He knew it wasn't exactly professional but everyone had grown used to his rather eclectic style and he hoped Uther wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

He grabbed his bag, strapping it across his chest and stuffed his keys in his pocket. "See you later Kilgharrah," he said, petting the kitten under his chin and then disappearing out the door. He biked to work, ignoring the cold rain that splattered against his skin, he was too nervous to care. Locking his bike in the bike garage, he skipped up the steps and headed inside to the elevator.

"Excuse me," someone tapped his shoulder and Merlin turned around. "Can you tell me which floor HR is on?" The man asked. He was of average height, just a little shorter than Merlin. He had a mop of dark curls that fell across his face and startling ice blue eyes that sent a chill through Merlin. He was wearing a suit, holding a piece of paper and looking up at Merlin nervously.

"Yea, it's the third floor," Merlin smiled and they stepped into the elevator together.

"Thanks," he pressed the button with the 3 on it and let out a shaky sigh, "I'm Mordred," he said and held out his hand to Merlin.

"Oh! Hey Mordred, I heard we were getting a new hire," Merlin said, remembering that he needed to pretend he knew nothing about the promotion. "I'm Merlin Emrys." He introduced himself, shaking Mordred's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Emrys," he smiled and Merlin blushed slightly as he saw Mordred take a quick look over him.

"First day?" Merlin asked, pretending not to have notice.

"Yea, I have to meet with some guy named Gaius and then I guess I'll meet my boss." Mordred grimaced, "nice riding with you though!" He waved and stepped out as they reached the floor for HR. Merlin waved and rode the rest of the way up to the ninth floor by himself. Uther had ordered him to immediately come to his office when he got in and not to stop by Arthur's beforehand.

"Well this is it..." Merlin said to himself and walked out into the hallway. He waved to Uther's assistant and knocked on the closed door.

"Enter," Uther commanded and Merlin walked in, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Good morning sir," he smiled and shook his hand. "I hope you had a pleasant holiday."

"I did thank you. Take a seat Mr. Emyrs." Uther directed and Merlin sat down in the seat across from him obediently. "I imagine you're wondering why I called you in here this morning."

"The thought had crossed my mind, yea." Merlin admitted, and Uther gave him cross look. Right, sarcasm, bad.

"I've conducted an investigation into your job performance here at Camelot." Uther said, opening a folder in front of him. "I'm spoken with your colleagues to see what they think of your work. I've had Arthur give me a job performance review and I've looked over the work that you've done as well as watched you first hand with clients and shareholders." He paused, looking at Merlin sternly and Merlin shifted in his seat.

"And?" He asked, his voice barely above a squeak.

"And I have to say Mr. Emyrs, I'm intrigued. Gaius tells me that you initially applied to our legal department, is that correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Is that still your aspiration then? To find some position with our lawyers?"

"Well," Merlin frowned, this wasn't sounding like a promotion, "I have wanted to work in the legal area most of my life and I do very much enjoy the legal aspect of my job..."

"But?"

"I also enjoy the interaction I get to have with clients, the role I get in helping struggling businesses find their way. It's a lot closer to what I truly wanted to do." Merlin explained and Uther nodded.

"Excellent, I'm glad you say that Merlin." Uther closed the file, "I have a proposal to make to you and you don't need to answer immediately, though I would like you to think about it quickly. How would you feel about becoming a junior operations manager? The role would involve an increase in your responsibilities and involvement with the day to day functions of ongoing projects and your responsibilities as an assistant would decrease. I've hired a new assistant to take over for you in the area of answering phones, making appointments and the like and I would like you to work alongside Arthur. I think that you two make strange but good team. He would be in charge of deciding what new tasks you would take over for the most part, although I may assign you some things from time to time." Uther proposed and Merlin grinned, remembering to look shocked. "Of course the job would mean a pay increase and of course I would expect a lot more of you going forward. You would have your own office, next to Arthur's and you may even be assigned your own projects to deal with in the future. Does this sound like something you would be interested in?"

"Absolutely!" Merlin beamed, "I mean... I had no idea that you had noticed my work to be honest. I didn't really think this kind of job was even available here..."

"It isn't. This is a bit of an experiment, a trial you might say. Your position would be a unique one and it's taken quite a lot of working out on this end. The job is open to you and only you and if you decline, I would accept it but I will say I'd be very disappointed."

"I'm not going to turn it down Mr. Pendragon. I want the job." Merlin said firmly.

"Are you sure you don't want some time to think about it?"

"I'm sure. I'm eager to try something new and to prove myself to you and your son." Merlin added and Uther grinned.

"Good, good." He stood up and held out his hand, "I look forward to seeing your work in the future." Merlin shook his hand firmly. "I believe the new assistant should be coming up to your office shortly. I'll have Ms. Martin show you your new space and Gaius will fax you the paperwork from HR."

"Great, thank you sir." Merlin grinned and walked out of the office with Ms. Martin.

"Congratulations Mr. Emyrs," she said warmly.

"Thank you!"

They went down to the fifth floor and Ms. Martin showed Merlin his new office. It really was right next to Arthur's and Merlin grinned as he saw the plaque on the door that read 'Merlin Emyrs, Jr OM'. His office was incredibly bare and rather small, especially in comparison to Arthur's but it was his office and that made it seem like gold.

"Thank you Ms. Martin," Merlin said as she left and he sat down behind the desk. He looked up when there was a knock at the door.

"What do you think?" Arthur asked, his beautiful mouth curving into a smile.

"It's brilliant." Merlin grinned and got up. Arthur whistled and quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure no one heard.

"And what exactly were you thinking when you got dressed this morning?"

Merlin smiled mischievously, "I was thinking that these pants would drive my boyfriend mad," he teased and set his bag on the desk. Arthur growled and sighed heavily.

"Tonight?"

"Yea of course," Merlin nodded and spotted a flop of black curls through the window. "Ah, that's Mordred." He moved passed Arthur, letting his hand brush against his stomach ever so teasingly but undetectable to any bystanders.

"Mr. Emyrs!" Mordred grinned, "I was so relieved when Gaius told me I'd be working with you, and at least I kind of already met you." He smiled and shook Merlin's hand again.

"Please Mordred; call me Merlin or even Emyrs, just not Mister."

"Yes Mordred, please don't call him _Mr._ Emyrs, or he'll go off thinking that he's important or something," Arthur joked, strolling up to the two. Mordred though, was unfamiliar with their banter and was left standing awkwardly, not sure what to say back.

"Ignore him Mordred; he's a giant clot pole." Merlin growled back and making Mordred laugh nervously.

"Now that is hardly any way to speak to me _Mer_lin! I am the CEO of this company, you should show some respect." Arthur's voice rang with annoyance, but Merlin could see the smile dancing in his eyes like always.

"Oh shut it. Mordred this is Arthur Pendragon, he is a giant clot pole, dollophole, the Prince of Prats and most unfortunately, our boss." Merlin introduced and Mordred's eyes went wide upon realizing just who he was.

"Uh, I-it's nice t-to meet you, Mr. P-Pendragon," he stammered, shaking Arthur's hand.

"Don't worry Mordred, my father may rule with an iron fist but you have nothing to fear from me." Arthur assured and Mordred visibly relaxed.

"Common Mordred, I'll show your desk." Merlin shook his head and pulled him to the side, showing him Merlin's disastrous desk. "Well, I still need to clear it out of my stuff but this is where you'll be." He started gathering up his papers, becoming aware of the ridiculous amount of coffee mugs that littered his desk.

"Here, let me help." Mordred offered, taking the papers from Merlin's hands and gathering the rest up. Merlin dumped the rest of his things into the desk drawer and pulled it out and led Mordred to his office.

"Thanks," Merlin emptied the contents of the drawer on his new desk not so gracefully. "Did Gaius get you all set up with a tablet and everything?"

"Yes, he did." Mordred set the papers down and retrieved the tablet from the leather laptop bag that hung from his shoulder.

"Great, sit down and I'm going to send you some files." Merlin sat down and pulled out his own tablet. He had spent the night compiling an 'everything you need to know about being Arthur's assistant' list. The list contained instructions ranging from how he liked his coffee and when, his favorite restaurants and their respective numbers to the names and contact information for everyone that they dealt with, and also included, most importantly in Merlin's opinion, Arthur's many peculiar habits. He sent Mordred the file, "I've compiled a list of everything you'll need to start out with." Merlin explained.

"That's great, thank you." Mordred beamed and immediately opened the file. "Is there anything I can get you right now?"

"Oh no, I'm good." Merlin smiled, "do you have any questions for me before I go see Arthur? We need to catch up on were we left off before the holidays."

"Uh," Mordred thought for a moment, "no... Not really..." he shook his head and Merlin stood.

"Great, alright then, go get yourself situated at your desk. Oh!" Merlin grabbed the headset off his desk, "this is yours now. You'll need it." He warned, patted Mordred on the shoulder and walked out.

"Come in," Arthur called and Merlin came in, shutting the door behind him and sitting down across from Arthur at the couches. Arthur was bent over the coffee table, papers spread out around him.

"Whatcha workin' on?" Merlin asked, looking at the papers curiously.

"My father just sent me this; it's a business outside of London that he wants me to look into. They've been struggling for a couple years and he wants me to see if it would be worth anything." Arthur explained and looked up at Merlin. "Could you get me some coffee?"

Merlin grinned, "nope, not my job anymore".

"Right, Mor-!" Arthur began and Merlin smacked him.

"Don't be silly Arthur, he's just getting settled in, we can give him a little bit. I'll make coffee."

"Oh god no! Mordred!" Arthur cried out with panic and Mordred appeared a startled look on his face.

"Yes sir?"

"Could you get us some coffees please? A venti salted caramel for me and a grande chai tea-"

"Actually," Merlin interrupted.

"What? You suddenly decide you don't like vanilla bean fraps anymore?"

"Kind of, I've had one nearly every day for the last year." Merlin laughed, "And I could use some caffeine I'll have a grande java chip frap." He instructed and Mordred nodded.

"Right ok," he quickly scribbled their orders down, "and how to pay for that?" He asked nervously.

"Oh Christ," Arthur rolled his eyes, he hated new assistants. Merlin glared at him and pulled out the company credit card.

"Use this for today. I'm sure you'll get one soon from accounting just make sure you keep the receipts ok?" Merlin instructed and Mordred nodded, thanking him and leaving quickly. "You're going to be an ass to him aren't you?" Merlin asked and Arthur gave him a confused look.

"I don't know what you're talking about _Mer_lin, but if you're implying that I'm being hard on the boy then you're right. That hasn't changed," he said the last part gently and Merlin bit his lip, nodding. He decided not to point out the fact that the _boy_ was hardly any younger than himself and instead focus on work.

"So, what is this business?"

"It's a... I don't know." Arthur leaned back and ran his hand through his hair, "I've been staring at these papers for the past hour and I have no idea what this business actually _does_. I'm so fucking tired I can't see straight." He complained and Merlin gave him a pitying look.

"Let me have a look," he offered and gathered up the papers. "Looks like an antique shop, "Misty Coast Collectables"" Merlin read and Arthur sat up.

"Where did you see that?" He asked, frowning and Merlin grinned.

"Right here," he pointed at the page and Arthur shook his head. Merlin read through the papers and came to understand it pretty quickly. It had been business for three years and had grown rapidly in the second year, expanding to several locations and even had started making purchases for museums. Their profit margins looked strong but in their third year they had started making a few loses and were looking to sell. "Looks interesting," Merlin said finally and set the pages down. "We should call the owner and set up a meeting."

"Where are they located?" Arthur asked.

"East Sussex," Merlin informed him and sat back, crossing his ankle over his knee. "I'll give him a call, see if he would like to meet with us either in the city or we can go to him."

"Yea, please do that." Arthur agreed and Mordred reappeared in the doorway, knocking gently. His face shined with sweat and Merlin noticed that he had probably run the entire way there and back.

"You're drinks," he said a tad breathless and handed each of them their coffees. "Is there anything else?" He asked hopeful.

"No that's everything, right?" Merlin looked at Arthur.

"Fetch me some Advil, won't you?" He asked, rubbing his head and Mordred nodded.

"I'll go call this guy and get back to you then," Merlin stood up, gathering the papers and walked out with Mordred. "Bottom drawer," Merlin whispered to Mordred as he looked around, unsure of where to find Advil. "When he doesn't sleep well the night before, he gets really bad headaches, and a bit testy."

"You seem to know him pretty well," Mordred observed. He was a lot more observant than people often gave him credit for. Like the way Merlin looked at Arthur, he had noticed almost right away, it was a mixture of affection and respect, much like one would look at a partner.

"Yea well," Merlin laughed, "I've spent the last year and a half waiting on his hand and foot nearly 24/7. I learned quickly," he smiled, "but don't worry, you won't have to deal with that much."

"K, hey that email you sent me was really helpful. I'll have to memorize it."

"Yea," Merlin smiled and waved, and walked into his own office.

He found the owner contact information buried in the papers and leaned back in his chair as he called him.

"Hello, this is Merlin Emyrs calling from Camelot; I believe you've spoken with Jack?" Merlin started. Jack was an employee that Merlin had never seemed to connect with but had daily interactions with. He was the initial contact for when Arthur found a business he was interested in or if Uther wanted them to look into something. He would contact the owners and get the basic information package and pass it on to Arthur.

Merlin spoke with Bill Warren, the owner of Misty Coast Collectables for an hour, discussing what P&S did and setting up a time to meet. Warren was unable to make it into London so Merlin and Arthur would have to drive out the following day at 9 to be there for in time for their 12:30 appointment. He hung up and went back to Arthur's office, knocking gently, not wanting to bother him with his headache.

"Arthur?" Merlin poked his head in, the lights were all off save for the desk lamp behind Arthur and the drapes pulled. "Migraine?"

"Mmhmm" Arthur nodded and looked up from the proposal Lisa had sent from their marketing team.

"That the new ad for Bailey and Gin?" Merlin asked, picking up the board and looking at it. "Wow... that's rubbish." He said honestly and Arthur glared up at him.

"Yes _thank you Mer_lin, I can see that. It's absolute shit. You can't even see the damn writing against this god off yellow." He hissed and snatched it back from Merlin. "What did you want?"

"I talked to Bill Warren-"

"And who the hell is that?" Arthur grumbled and Merlin glared at him, trying hard not to lose his temper as he knew Arthur was just cranky because his head hurt.

"The owner of Misty Coast-"

"Right, right, what did he say?"

"He'd like to meet with us tomorrow at twelve thirty but he can't get into the city so I said we'd meet with him. I checked your schedule, we're clear for the whole day surprisingly." Merlin moved to Arthur's side of the desk and leaned against the heavy oak. "Arthur you should take an hour to rest," he murmured gently and Arthur pushed away from the desk.

"No Merlin, what I need to do is get to work and you're sitting on my work," he grumbled and Merlin stood up, finally had it.

"Shit Arthur!" He yelled, making Arthur wince.

"Shush!"

"No! Don't be a prat just because you've got a headache," Merlin growled and Arthur glared back.

"Look _Mer_lin, I have a lot I need to do and I don't have time to sit here and talk to you about the way I should and shouldn't talk to you." Arthur stood up and pushed past Merlin only stopping to spin around and reach under Merlin, his hand grazing Merlin's backside as he snatched up the ad and stormed out. Merlin glared after him and stormed out. He was such a jerk sometimes!

"Merlin," Mordred knocked at his door and Merlin looked up from his desk, "everything ok?" he asked and stepped inside.

"Yea, Mordred everything's fine, Arthur is just being his usual pratty self and making me crazy is all." He sighed. At that moment they could hear Arthur's voice from down the hall where he was currently yelling Lisa out for the flop job she did on the ad.

"Seems like he's a bit hard on everyone..." Mordred pointed out and Merlin shrugged.

"He is." Merlin got up and walked into the hall, "I'll be right back, although you might want to come with and observe." he added in second though and walked towards the yelling.

Arthur was standing in Lisa's office, red in the face as he screamed about people not doing their jobs and how he had to constantly pick up the slack. Lisa sat with her hands folded and her head hanging, tears threatening to spill over.

"Arthur..." Merlin spoke up from the door but he didn't hear him. Instead he started on about how she could think that something so horrible would be ok and clearly she was an idiot. "Arthur!" Merlin yelled and Arthur finally spun around, chest heaving as he glared at him. "I think that's enough," he said gently, looking at the floor, ears burning. He didn't want to have to do this but sometimes Arthur went too far, his anger misdirected or out of control and he found himself having to reel him back in before all his staff quit.

Arthur stared at Merlin, his breath heavy with anger but the look on Merlin's face calmed the rage that had so suddenly risen up in him. He felt his heart slow and he nodded.

"You're right, I'm sorry Lisa," he said gently, glancing over at the sniffing employee, "I didn't mean to yell like that." He apologized and looked at Merlin again, his eyes pleading with him to help him out of this situation.

"Why don't I talk to Lisa about the ad and see if we can come up with something a bit better?" He suggested and Arthur nodded.

"Fine," he walked to the door, pausing just beside Merlin just long enough to whisper a thank you before disappearing into the elevator. Mordred watched the exchange, his quick eyes noticing the way that Arthur immediately calmed as he looked at Merlin and the look he gave him as he was leaving. He depended on this man in more ways than just someone to help with work. Merlin seemed to act as Arthur's conscience and was the person he looked to for support. He also noticed how the other staffed seemed to know that Merlin was the safer one of the two.

"Mordred, would you please get some tissues?" Merlin asked as he walked over to Lisa and wrapped an arm around her. "Come here," he whispered and she collapsed into his arms, crying openly.

"Why does he have to be so mean?" She whimpered and Merlin rubbed her back.

"You know that he doesn't think you're incompetent Lisa," he reassured, "he respects you a lot; he just doesn't filter his words when he gets like that."

"I know," she sniffed and pulled away. "Thank you," she said to Mordred as he handed her some tissues.

"Thanks," Merlin said as well and smiled at Mordred. "Lisa this is Mordred, the new assistant." Merlin introduced and Lisa shook his hand weakly.

"New assistant?"

"Yea, he's going to help me and Arthur with some of the more simple things so that I can help Arthur more with this kind of thing" Merlin explained and Lisa smiled.

"Does that mean I get to work with you more?" She asked and Merlin grinned his goofy grin.

"Sure does!" He beamed and sat down across from her, "so let's take a look at this ad." He picked up the ad and in moments, Lisa had forgotten about Arthur's rampage and they spent the rest of the morning working together. Mordred brought them lunch and Merlin asked the rest of the marketing team, Danielle and Josh, to come in and work with them. By five o-clock, they had come up with an entire new marketing platform and a mock up of a new ad that Merlin was sure Arthur would approve of.

"Ok guys," Merlin said as he yawned and stretched, the hem of his shirt lifting to show his stomach, "let's stop there for today. I'll present this stuff to Arthur before I go. We're going to be out of the city for most of tomorrow, wont' be back until probably 3 or even 4 so I don't think we'll have time to go over Arthur's notes but does Wednesday work for everyone?" He asked as he gathered everything up and looked at the others. He waited as they all checked their calendars and nodded, all except Danielle who had a meeting with another department. "That's fine; the rest of us will meet up first thing in the morning. I'll send out the invite to the meeting in a few." He said goodnight to everyone and went back to Arthur's office.

"He just went to the loo," Mordred said as he saw Merlin.

"Thanks, I'm just going to wait in his office then. Can you book a meeting with me, Josh and Lisa for Wednesday morning, 9 am?" he asked just as he pushed open the door and walked over to the couch and slumped down. He was so tired. It had been such a long day and he felt completely exhausted.

"Merlin..." Arthur walked in and closed the door, locking it and shutting the blinds. "About earlier..."

"Its fine Arthur, really, don't worry about it." Merlin waved it away and patted the seat next to him. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yea, Gaius made me drink this disgusting concoction of herbs but it worked like magic," Arthur said as he sat down next to Merlin, not too close but just close enough he could rest his hand on his thigh.

"I'm glad," Merlin smiled and closed his eyes, "we came up with a new platform that I think you'll think, if you'd like to go over it?" Merlin asked, opening his eyes to find Arthur's face next to his.

"No, I want to go home." Arthur said gently and kissed him softly. "Let's get out of here. You can tell me about it on the drive tomorrow."

"K," Merlin sighed happily and stood up, stretching again. Unable to resist the milky skin that was revealed as Merlin stretched, Arthur's hands slid under his shirt and around, resting on his lower back. "Arthur..." he purred and Arthur felt his heart melting. He was falling so hard.

"I'm so sorry I yelled at you," Arthur whispered. Despite Merlin saying it was ok, Arthur had immediately regretted the way he spoke to him.

"Its fine Arthur," Merlin pressed again and Arthur shook his head.

"No, it isn't."

"Honestly Arthur I'm used to it," Merlin pulled away and smiled, "I know how you get when you don't sleep well."

"Fine," Arthur sighed, giving up and going to his desk to get his coat off the back of his chair and gather up his things.

"About tomorrow, is Mordred coming with us?"

"Shit, I guess so..." Arthur sighed, he was really looking forward to the drive alone with Merlin where they could be themselves and maybe talk about their relationship some more.

"He could stay here," Merlin suggested, "I mean... someone needs to answer the phone, pick up your dry cleaning, and he also needs to get the hang of the office."

"True," Arthur pursed his lips as he thought about it, "good thinking Merlin, let him know will you?"

"Mmhmm," Merlin waved and unlocked the door and stepped out. Mordred had not missed the locking of the door or the way that Arthur had shut the curtains. It was indeed very curious. "Tomorrow Arthur and I are going to Sussex to meet with a possible client. I want you stay here though, there's things that we need done here and I'd like you to get familiar with the office. We won't be coming into the office at all, so I'll email you a list of things that we need done. I'm not sure if we'll be back before 5 or not, most likely we will but you can always reach me on my cell or email. If you need anything, just let me know." Merlin informed him and Mordred nodded.

"Alright, sounds good, thank you Emrys."

"No problem, if you're done here, you can go home. Arthur is leaving now and I'm heading out in five, so no reason you should stay any later."

"Ok," Mordred nodded and Merlin went back to his office and closed the door. He really needed to get this place organized and maybe even decorate it a little. He smiled at the thought of Uther seeing a Doctor Who poster on the wall. Chuckling to himself, he gathered up his bag and picked up his cell just as it buzzed.

_I'll pick you up at your flat in twenty -A_

_K, leaving now -M_ Merlin texted back and quickly left.

The bike lane was full of fellow cyclist commuters' and it took Merlin nearly twenty minutes to bike the ten minute ride. He raced up stairs and pushed open the door to his flat. Kilgharrah meowed in disapproval as he startled him awake.

"Sorry baby," Merlin said as he rushed about the living room, gathering up clothes for tomorrow. He grabbed his toothbrush and stuffed it into his duffle bag as his phone vibrated. _I know Arthur!_ Merlin though, _I'm hurrying!_ He pulled his cell phone out, prepared to tell Arthur off for being so impatient but was surprised to see a text from Will.

_Drinks tonight?_

_Sorry! Working late_ Merlin lied, a guilty pang tightening his stomach, _tomorrow?_ He sent quickly afterwards. He fed the cat and then quickly left, locking up as he headed out.

_Sure_ Will typed back and Merlin smiled. At least he'd get to see his friend again.

_Merlin hurry up!_ Arthur's text chimed and even the chime sounded annoyed. Merlin walked outside and Arthur's car was pulled up to the curb. He could see him drumming his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.

"God you're impatient," Merlin complained as he got into the passenger's seat, tossing his duffle bag into the back.

"No, you're just incredibly slow!" Arthur replied and Merlin just rolled his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Merlin before starting the car and driving away. "So how did my father propose the job to you?" He asked at last.

"He made it sounds like I was being fired," Merlin told him honestly and Arthur laughed.

"Sounds like Uther!"

"Yea," Merlin nodded, "he said that he liked my work and then offered me the position," he summarized.

"Really? Wow, that's high praise coming from Uther," Arthur said, glancing over at Merlin.

"Yea?" Merlin frowned and thought about it, "I suppose so." he said and shrugged.

"He must really like you," Arthur said gently and stared out at the road.

"Apparently..." Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "So, how are we going to do this? I mean, I don't imagine we can spend every night with each other."

"No, we can't..." Arthur sighed and thought about it for a moment, "how about we spend weekends together and two days a week? Say Tuesday's and Thursday's?"

"Alright, but we will need to spend some of those nights at my place, I can't just leave Kilgharrah alone that much."

"Right," Arthur nodded, "how about this then, we spend the weekends at my flat and the week days at yours?"

"Deal," Merlin grinned, "and tonight... does this count as our Tuesday night then?"

"Course not you idiot," Arthur shook his head, "just no sense in not spending the night together since we'll be leaving together in the morning." He pointed out and Merlin nodded

"That makes sense." Arthur grinned and reached over, ruffling Merlin's hair. "Oi"

Merlin made them a chicken stir-fry, telling Arthur he really had to eat all the vegetables when he complained. After they dinner, they curled up on the couch with their wine and watched the latest episode of Once Upon a Time. By the end of the episode, Merlin's head was dropping as he drifted off.

"Off to bed," Arthur murmured and set their glasses on the coffee table. He led them down the hall and Merlin woke up enough to undress before collapsing onto Arthur's king sized bed.

"Mmmm your bed is so comfortable..." he mumbled and squirmed under the duvet.

"It's definitely better than that rock you call your bed," Arthur agreed, stepping out of his pants and setting them on the chair in the corner. He crawled in beside and Merlin and kissed his neck.

"Hmm, that's nice..." Merlin opened his eyes and looked over at Arthur and Arthur smiled that special smile of his. He grinned, loving the way his mouth made such a lopsided smile. He had nearly perfectly straight teeth except for his right K9 that was slightly longer than all of his other teeth, resting slightly awkwardly like there just wasn't enough room for it. Merlin reached up and brushed his lips with his thumb. "You're so beautiful..." He whispered and kissed him gently. Arthur kissed him back; it wasn't a kiss full of lust but one of tenderness and full of unspoken feelings.

"Good night Merlin," he whispered and Merlin rolled over. Arthur pulled him against his body, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in Merlin's neck. As Arthur listened to Merlin's breathing grow deeper and his own mind fog with sleepiness, his last thought was about how perfect this felt.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"_Mer_lin, _get up!_" Arthur yelled, throwing a pillow at the lazy boy.

"Hmmm, ten more minutes," Merlin mumbled, burying his head under the pillow.

"I gave you ten more minutes half an hour ago," Arthur informed him and walked into the room, tying his tie. "Now get up, we have to leave in a few minutes."

"What time is it?" Merlin asked unmoving.

"It's twenty to nine, Merlin, get up!" Arthur growled and ripped the blankets off of Merlin.

"Arg!" Merlin groaned, grabbing at the air in vane, "but the meeting isn't till twelve thirty!"

"Yes and it is nearly a two hour drive and there will probably be traffic," Arthur grabbed Merlin's arms and pulled him up.

"It's Sussex! No one is commuting to _Sussex!_" Merlin argued and Arthur sighed.

"There is just no waking you up, is there?" He asked, looking down at the boy with his hands on his hips. Merlin smiled a goofy smile and shook his head.

"Nope," he said, his eyes still closed.

"Well then, I suppose I will just have to do something else to wake you up," Arthur said plainly, smiling and kneeling down in front of him.

Merlin's eyes flung opened and he gasped as Arthur's mouth wrapped around him. His mind still foggy with sleep, it slipped easily into the haze of pleasure as he leaned back, panting under Arthur's skill.

"Mmmm" Merlin moaned and arched his back, his fingers tangling in Arthur's hair and pushing up to his mouth. Arthur smiled briefly, looking up at his lover and watching his reaction as he sucked and teased.

It didn't take long before Merlin was gasping as he exploded into Arthur's mouth. Arthur pulled up and adjusted his tie.

"_Now_ are you awake?" He asked teasingly and Merlin nodded, grinning stupidly.

"Yes..." He smiled and looked down at Arthur. He had never done that to him yet, Merlin knew it was something he was clearly nervous about. Having never been with a man before, Merlin had introduced Arthur to things slowly, being patient and giving him time.

"Well, up you get!" Arthur pulled him up, slapping his ass as he pushed him into the bathroom.

"Ooo!" Merlin giggled and stumbled into the shower.

Ten minutes later, Merlin was standing in the kitchen, stuffing a crumpet into his mouth.

"What _are_ you wearing?" Arthur asked once he looked up from his brief case.

"Hmm?" Merlin looked down at his clothes, "right... well I might have grabbed the wrong clothes last night..." he confessed, looking up at Arthur sheepishly.

"You're positively hopeless," Arthur said, exacerbated.

"I know," Merlin nodded in agreement, crumbs falling from his mouth as he spoke around his crumpet.

"Let's go," Arthur rolled his eyes at the ever graceful Merlin and tossed him his bag which he promptly dropped and nearly tripped over.

"Did you remember to make a list of things for Mordred to do today? I flaked out and forgot about it," Merlin asked as they left the penthouse.

"Yes I did, I've already emailed it to him."

"Good," he nodded and adjusted his bag over his shoulder.

Once in the car, Merlin pulled out his tablet and began going through emails. He replied to the most important ones first, passing along messages to Arthur. He sent an email to Mordred, letting him know which rooms to book for meetings and when.

"Have him schedule a staff meeting for Friday afternoon," Arthur added, "we need to go over the Bailey and Gin platform before its release on Monday."

"Done," Merlin pressed sent and then logged into Arthur's email. He read him his emails and typed up the replies as Arthur drove down the highway. "All done," he yawned and set the tablet down.

"Put the address in the GPS would you?" He asked, handing Merlin the GPS. Merlin programmed the GPS and finally leaned back in his seat. "So tell me about the Bailey and Gin thing, how did you fix it?"

Sighing tiredly, Merlin began explaining the changes that he had made, becoming more animated as he talked and Arthur couldn't help but smile. It was good seeing Merlin passionate about things.

"The entire thing wasn't totally useless," Merlin explained, "there were some good parts to the campaign they had come up with and I just worked on bringing those parts out more. There really wasn't that much adjusting that needed to be done to the commercial proposals or the ideas behind it all. The ads were just not at all in line with the way we were wanting to rebrand it." Merlin then launched into the reasoning behind the rebranding, the market research results and how they planned on using that. Arthur provided feedback, having mostly liked the things that they had come up with but having more experience in the business world, he was able to provide a more realistic opinion. Merlin took down some of the things he said, making notes for the meeting with the marketing team the next day. After an hour of driving, they had finally talked out everything they could at that point. Merlin pulled out his iPod and plugged it into the music system.

"Oh no, what kind of music do you have on that thing?" Arthur asked, giving the iPod a look of utter distaste.

"What? You don't like music?" Merlin asked.

"No of course I do, just not sure if I like _your_ music." He explained, watching Merlin scroll through his playlists.

"Well what kind of music do you like?"

"You know... like good music like the rat pack and-"

"Wait what?" Merlin gasped, "Did you seriously just say 'the rat pack'? As in Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and them?"

"So you know them?" Arthur asked, grinning.

"Well yes, only because I'm a music nut but anyone born after 1970 hasn't! What are you... 80?" Merlin teased and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't expect _you_ to understand, you wouldn't know good music if it slapped you in the face."

"Oh you did NOT just say that!" He gasped and began furiously scrolling through his iPod, looking desperately for the perfect song. "Oh god, I don't even know which song to pick there's just too many!"

"Well why don't we listen to Dean Martin then?" Arthur suggested with a grin and Merlin glared at him.

"No thank you! We're going to begin you musical education right now!" Merlin sighed heavily, "arg this is impossible!" He sighed heavily, "We'll start with this one though." He said and hit play.

_Kill of the Night_ by Gin Wigmore began playing in the car and as the course came on, Merlin began singing along.

"I'm gonna catch ya, I'm gonna get ya, get ya, oh, ah oh!" He sang, "Now you're mind, but what do I do with you, boy?" He saying to Arthur, grinning and running his hand down Arthur's arm making Arthur laugh and shake his head.

"So am I your kill of the night?" He yelled over the music and Merlin nodded, beginning to dance in his seat.

"This is a bad town for such a pretty face! Ooohhh I'm gonna getcha, I'm gonna getcha getcha!"

As the song came to an end, Merlin sighed happily and grinned over at Arthur.

"Thoughts?"

"Um, it was interesting," Arthur offered, "I really enjoyed watching you sing it."

"Le sigh, I'm just going to have to keep playing music until we can find something you like." Merlin decided, "Ooh I know! VNV Nation!"

"Isn't that some kind of dance music?" Arthur asked, the name sounded all too familiar.

"Yea, it's in a lot of clubs. It's kind of like rave/techno but totally awesome," Merlin explained and hit play. The thumping beat immediately began to fill the car and they listened in silence.

"Ok so I kind of like that," Arthur finally admitted once the song was over and Merlin beamed.

"Yay!" They drove the rest of the drive in silence, listening to VNV Nation and getting lost in the beat.

"Ok, so we're a bit early but that's good," Arthur said as he pulled off the highway and headed towards the store. "I want you to go into the store as a potential customer, saying you're looking for pieces for a client."

"Why?"

"It allows us to get a glimpse at how they run their business before they know who we are and everyone immediately is on their best behaviour."

"Right," Merlin nodded, it made sense but still seemed unnecessary.

He did as he was asked though and was offered several interesting items. He let them know he would contact them later and left. Shortly afterwards, they met with the owner and had their lunch. He was amused if not slightly annoyed by their test but showed no dislike. The meeting went on beyond lunch and continued at the shop where they were given a full tour. Arthur seemed to be really interested in the business and the various opportunities that were available with it. They discussed prices and a few numbers were tossed around but nothing was settled on. Arthur had to run it past Uther before making any final decisions.

Once they left, it was nearing five pm and they were both exhausted. While Arthur did most of the talking, Mordred had called several times along with a few other staff members. Merlin handled the calls and responded to emails all the while trying to pay attention to what was happening in front of him.

"So, heading back up to the office to draw up the proposal?" Merlin asked and Arthur nodded.

"Yea, I'd like to make a move on this quickly. I don't understand why they're selling though, everything looks good. I'll have Gavin do an investigation into." Gavin was a lawyer on staff whose sole job was to dig up information about whatever Arthur, Morgana or Uther asked him to. His speciality was digging up things that people wanted to keep buried and proved to be an invaluable resource when investigating businesses that were selling lower than their actual value or any other time things seemed slightly suspicious.

Thanks to very little traffic and Arthur's inclination to speed, they arrive at the office just after six thirty and headed straight to Arthur's office. Most of the staff had left except for the more senior individuals like Morgana and Leon.

Merlin was surprised to see Mordred, sitting at his desk when they reached the door.

"Mordred, you didn't' go home?" Merlin asked. He hadn't specifically told Mordred to go home but he hadn't thought he'd stay past five either.

"You sounded like you'd be at the office late tonight; I thought you might like me to bring dinner or something."

"O," Merlin grinned that big silly grin, "that was nice of you. I think we're ok for now, maybe just some coffee."

"K," Mordred got up and disappeared down the hall and Merlin made his way into Arthur's office.

"I'd like to get a proposal together now, just a simple one anyway. That way if Gavin doesn't find anything we can act on this immediately." Arthur immediately launched into work mode, tossing his suit jacket onto his chair and loosening his tie. Merlin smiled, his stomach was doing little flips at the sight of Arthur. He looked so incredibly handsome. His golden hair was slightly disheveled, as if he'd just ran his hands through it. His jaw was lightly dusted with the beginnings of stubble making his lopsided smile stand out even more. His suit was just a bit winkled from the drive and he had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and removed his shoes.

"What?" He asked, realizing that Merlin was too quiet and looked up.

"Nothing," Merlin said with a blush and tossed his bag down. He kicked off his shoes and sat cross legged on the couch. "So," he pulled out his notebook and a pen, "what would you like me to do?" He asked. They had already hashed out a portion of the proposal, Merlin had made notes of what research they needed to do and jotted down what Arthur mentioned.

"Take half of their business plan; I'll take the other half. Read through, scrap what we don't need and add what you think we should but mostly focus on just finding out more about them." Arthur instructed and Merlin pulled out the 200 page business plan they'd been given. He took the first half, the part containing the history, employee information, HR, marketing and mission, leaving the financial part for Arthur.

Arthur sat down across from Merlin and took his stack. A few minutes later there was a soft knock on the door and Merlin looked up over his glasses as Mordred came in carrying their coffees.

"Thanks Mordred," Merlin took his and sipped it.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you?" He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Arthur?""Hmm?" He had barely even acknowledged the arrival of Mordred, "oh uh," he looked around and pinched his lips together. "I don't think so."

"Ok"

"Are you coming to Morgana's New Year's party?" Merlin asked and Mordred nodded.

"Yes, she invited me this afternoon." He said with a grin.

"Great! I'm glad. I'll see you tomorrow; you can go home for the night." Merlin waved as Mordred said goodnight and left.

Yawning, Merlin went back to his reading, flicking his pen against the paper.

"_Mer_lin", Arthur warned without looking up from his spreadsheets.

"Sorry," Merlin stopped and continued reading but eventually began clicking the pen.

"_Mer_lin!" He sighed, finally looking up at Merlin, giving him a look of great annoyance.

"Sorry," Merlin grinned and Arthur rolled his eyes.

They settled back into silence, both reading and making notes in the margins. They spoke rarely, usually just looking for a reference page or asking a quick question if the other found something in their reading.

At eight, Merlin pulled himself away to order Chinese for the two of them. They had ordered so often that they had created a system of ordering that even the staff at the restaurant knew.

Blue for when it was just them and they were feeling especially hungry. It contained an order of vegetable fried rice, chicken fried rice, sweet and sour beef and chicken, mixed vegetables and four spring rolls.  
>Pink for lighter nights when they only wanted to share some rice, sweet ns our chicken balls and a spring roll each.<br>Green was a large order when they were working late with several other people and it was just a large mix of everything.

With the food ordered, Merlin broke into Arthur's liquor cabinet and opened a bottle of wine.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked when he heard the tell tale 'pop' of the cork being pulled free.

"Just getting some wine for dinner," he replied easily.

"That was a 500£ bottle of wine," Arthur pointed out, sounding rather agitated like usual.

"Oh," Merlin grinned, "oops!"

Arthur sighed and shook his head. Merlin poured them each a glass and came over handing one to Arthur and about to give him a quick kiss when he moved away.

"We don't know who else is still here," he said gently, giving Merlin a gentle but sad look.

"Right," he bit his lip and sat back down. "So, learn anything interesting?"

"Plenty," Arthur said after taking a drink, "I really don't understand why they're selling. They haven't really lost anything, I mean you expect some loss after an expansion the size they did. Give it a few months though, and I think their profits would significantly improve."

"So it really doesn't make sense their selling."

"No, it doesn't... either they've gotten themselves into trouble or they're just complete idiots."

"Hopefully it's the later." Merlin leaned back in his seat and looked at the time. "Bloody hell, it's nine."

"Really?" Arthur glanced at his watch and whistled. "No wonder I'm starved."

"Yea," Merlin sighed, "guess I'll get back to this while we wait."

"Yea," Arthur grabbed for the papers again and they fell back into their comfortable silence as they read.

Twenty minutes later, security brought up their delivery guy and they sprawled out on the floor, their backs against the couch and take out containers opened between them. Their work lay abandoned on the coffee table which had been pushed to the side so that they could make a platter of their food on the floor. Both men had gotten even more comfortable, Arthur having taken off his socks and his dress shirt so he now sat on the floor only in his dress pants and undershirt. Merlin had removed his socks as well, (they both agreed that socks were unfair prisons for their feet and because they believed in justice for all, had set their cramped toes free), and had pushed up his glasses onto his hair, making the short black hair stick out at odd angles.

Merlin was just doing an impression of Leon which had Arthur nearly choking on his rice as he laughed when a polite 'ahem' came from behind them.

"It looks like we are missing out on a little dinner party," Uther said from the doorway, Morgana smiling at his side.

"Father," Arthur attempted to stand but managed to put his hand squarely in the sweet and sour sauce and began cursing immediately.

"Don't worry," his father said, chuckling, "we just stopped by to say goodnight."

"Oh well, goodnight father," Arthur nodded, washing his hand with a wet wipe Merlin had produced out of nowhere.

"Good night Mr. Pendragon," Merlin called out, his hand coming up from behind the arch of the couch.

"Goodnight to you as well Mr. Emrys," Uther said and disappeared.

"Goodnight boys, don't stay up too late." Morgana winked and disappeared after her father. Merlin and Arthur turned back to their food. Merlin chewed his lip and looked up at Arthur.

"Think he noticed anything?"

"About what?" Arthur stabbed a stubborn chicken ball.

"About us? I mean... think he noticed a change?"

"Don't be ridiculous Merlin, my father wouldn't notice unless I was shagging you right here on the floor." He pointed out, "honestly my father can be incredibly blind to things he doesn't want to know and believe me, my romantic life is one of those things."

"Alright, if you say so," Merlin sighed and set down his takeout box, "I'm completely knackered."

"Let's head out." Arthur agreed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Merlin packed up the leftovers while Arthur gathered up their work. By the time they left the office it was eleven and both of them were exhausted.

"I don't have any clothes for tomorrow," Merlin pointed out as he put on his seatbelt.

"Want to stop at home?"

"Want to spend the night?" Merlin countered and Arthur smiled.

"Sure, I'm too tired to drive across town right now anyway."

Ten minutes later, Merlin was turning on the lights and Kilgharrah climbed up his pants, meowing hungrily.

"Kilgharrah!" Merlin purred, scratching his ears and burying his face in his fur. Kil meowed happily and he fed and watered him. Arthur disappeared into the shower while Merlin dug through his clothes and picked out his outfit for the next day.

He undressed and crawled into bed, and closed his eyes. He was just drifting into sleep when he felt something hit his face. Opening his eyes, a drop of water dripped off Arthur's chest as he stood over him.

"So much for waiting for me," he teased and Merlin grabbed the towel and pulled it off.

"I was just resting my eyes," he grinned innocently and pulled Arthur's hips to him, making him nearly fall onto Merlin. He straddled Merlin and looked down at him, his blonde hair turned a light brown from the water and Merlin's heart started racing. Water rand down his shoulders, tracing the curves of muscle Merlin reached up and slid his hands over Arthur's stomach and up his chest.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, wondering how it was that Arthur could be so perfect.

"I know," he said with a grin and Merlin smacked his chest teasingly. "Hey now," Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrists and pushed him above his head, pinning him to the bed. His face was inches away from his and Merlin squirmed, biting his lip as he looked up at him.

"Say sorry," Arthur ordered and Merlin shook his head.

"Never," he goaded and Arthur growled, sending a shiver down Merlin's spine.

"Say it," he said again, his breath hot against Merlin's neck.

"M-make me," Merlin whispered and Arthur wrapped one hand around both of his little wrists and slid his free hand down Merlin's chest and under the covers. He wrapped his hand around his cock and began massaging.

"Mmm," Merlin moaned and pushed his hips against Arthur. Quickly he was gasping for breath and moaning for more but Arthur kept his painfully slow pace, teasing him out of his mind. Merlin squirmed, trying to force his body into a position that would increase the pleasure but Arthur would stop every time until Merlin stopped squirming.

"Arthur," he gasped, his jaw clenched as he tried to stay still.

"What?" He purred against Merlin's neck.

"I want you," Merlin gasped as Arthur's lips brushes against his neck, kissing softly.

"Oh yea?" He teased and Merlin groaned, "Say it..."

"Fine," he laughed, "I'm sorry," he bit his lip and Arthur grinned. He leaned down and kissed him deeply, his tongue grazing against Merlin's but his hand stayed at the same position and soon Merlin was groaning and struggling against him.

"Arthur!' He moaned and Arthur slid himself lower down Merlin so that he could tease his nipples with his tongue.

"Hmm?"

"You're making me crazy," he gasped.

"You have to want it," Arthur explained and Merlin shivered. He'd never teased him like this and the sudden dominance was making Merlin drip with anticipation.

"I want it," he whispered, his voice shaking.

"How badly?" Arthur asked, looking up at him, desire burning in his eyes.

"So badly," Merlin licked his lips, "please, Arthur."

Those were the magic words. Arthur groaned and let go of his wrists and wrapped Merlin's leg around his waist as he pushed into him, making Merlin gasp in surprise. With the built up tension, Arthur held nothing back as he took Merlin, his hand gripping Merlin's hip and the other wrapped behind his neck. Merlin wrapped both legs around Arthur's hips, moving with him and gripping his arms tightly. Arthur watched as Merlin threw his head back, crying out with the pleasure he was giving and with one final hard thrust, he came just as he pulled out. Merlin's hand immediately wrapped around Arthur, pumping him as Arthur moaned loudly and wrapped his own hand over Merlin who finished seconds later.

"Merlin," Arthur growled and pulled Merlin up into his lap and kissed him hard, lacing his fingers through his black hair.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered when Arthur pulled away, his eyes still closed. He felt so complete, so incredibly happy and he knew in that moment that he loved Arthur. He really did and even though it scared him to death and he wasn't ready to stay it just yet, he knew it was true.

Merlin was, deeply, hopelessly, in love with Arthur Pendragon.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Merlin woke up before Arthur did in the morning, unable to stay in bed any longer, he was buzzing with energy. He slipped out and pulled on a pair of jeans before quietly closing the door. He turned on the lamp in the living room and made tea. The previous night replayed in his mind and the feelings he had felt hadn't dissipated in any way.

Curling up on the couch, e pulled on his glasses and grabbed the book he was currently reading (although he hadn't touched it in weeks and a thin layer of dust had gathered on it). He tried to read but his mind was focused too much on Arthur. How was it possible that he had fallen in love with Arthur he thought? He smiled to himself, despite Arthur's many faults; it was easy to love him. Merlin had seen in him someone incredible, someone who was loyal, passionate and honorable even though he hid it well under the guise of being a cold, indifferent and distant boss. Merlin knew though that there was someone better inside and he didn't stop pushing Arthur to be better, he didn't stop trying to draw that person out and he finally had allowed others to see it as well. Merlin set his book down and clutched his tea to his chest and stared at the bedroom door. It made him sick to think about how much he loved Arthur. It was that crazy, stupid, passionate, kind of love that consumed everything about him and left him feeling breathless. Kilgharrah meowed and jumped up onto his lap.

"Hello love," Merlin whispered, petting the fluffy head as Kilgharrah began purring loudly. "What am I going to do?" He asked with a sigh and the kitten looked up at him, lifting his paw and setting it on Merlin's leg. "I love him..."

"Meow," was the only advice Kilgharrah offered and Merlin decided that it wasn't very useful. He needed to talk to someone (preferably a human) about this and his first thought was Will. Will was always the person he went to, always the person he could talk to about this kind of thing. He chewed his lip nervously, wondering if he could talk to him about it but he realized quickly that Will wouldn't want to hear it. Maybe he could talk to Lance, he thought, knowing that Lance wouldn't judge him and he didn't even have to say exactly who it was. Having a plan in mind, he was able to pick up his book again and read for the remaining hour before Arthur woke up and they needed to get ready for work. At 8:45, they headed into the office together, only parting once they reached the parking garage. Merlin headed into the office first, saying hello to Mordred who was already there.

"Morning," Arthur said as he passed by Mordred five minutes later.

"Morning," Mordred greeted back, taking note of the fact that he was wearing the same thing from yesterday and covered in cat fur.

At nine, just before the meeting with the marketing team, Merlin sent Lance a text asking him if he could talk to him at a lunch.

_-Sure-_ Lance had texted back.

The meeting was going slowly and Merlin was having a hard time concentrating. He was only slightly surprised when Arthur showed up at 10 to join in on the meeting. He was grateful to be able to let him take over and he could take a back seat role. They presented everything to Arthur and he gave them his honest opinion, but Merlin was thankful for the fact that he did it in a nice way. Well, not totally nice, but he wasn't a complete ass and Merlin felt he deserved points for that.

At one they took a break for lunch and Merlin managed to slip away without anyone noticing him. Lance was already waiting for him outside the sushi place they had decided on.

"All right?"

"Hey," Merlin greeted back and walked through the door Lance held open for him. They took their seats and ordered their drinks when finally Lance sat back and narrowed his eyes at him.

"What's wrong Merlin?" He asked, he knew something was up with his friend. The guy was like an open book, his face readable to anyone in Lance's opinion.

"I..." Merlin sighed and buried his face in his hands,

"I just need to talk to someone and normally I'd talk to Will but... well the subject is kind of a... uhm, sensitive one."

"Ok... so it's about Arthur?" Lance asked, wondering if Merlin was finally going to admit his feelings for his boss.

"No!" Merlin said too quickly, "it's... I've been seeing someone..."

"Someone... right." Lance grinned and Merlin scowled.

"Yes, _someone_" Merlin said a bit sarcastically but he wouldn't say Arthur's name, he'd promised not to tell anyone but he couldn't stop Lance from figuring it out on his own. "And I just need to talk it through because honestly, I haven't talked to anyone and oh my god," he grinned and Lance grinned back.

"Really like him huh?"

"Yea..." Merlin nodded, unable to stop himself from grinning stupidly, "I really like him... I think... I kind of love him."

"That's brilliant Merlin!" Lance patted him on the shoulder.

"Yea," The smile fading slowly from his face.

"But?" Lance asked, seeing Merlin's expression change quickly.

"But no one can know... he's not out of the closet..."

"Uh huh," Lance wanted to smack Merlin and make him admit it was Arthur. It was incredibly frustrating to watch two people who were clearly in love with each other pretend they felt nothing.

"I don't even know if he's gay to be honest..."

"Wait, have you guys been together or is this just you being a creep and loving him from a distance?" Merlin laughed and shook his head.

"No, we've slept together... lots... and it's fucking fantastic," Merlin said with a blush, "like... wow..."

"And yet you're not sure if he's gay?"

"Well, I don't know... he... he admitted that he thought guys were attractive but... I don't know, it doesn't really matter if he's gay, straight or bi, I don't care. The problem is trying to keep it a secret."

"Why does it have to be a secret?"

"His dad," Merlin said without hesitation.

"Right, Uther is a bit of a monster."

"Lance!" Merlin hissed and quickly looked around, "it isn't Arthur ok?"

"Common Merlin, are you seriously going to lie to me right now and tell me that you're not madly in love with Arthur?"

Merlin sighed heavily and glared at Lance. "You're not supposed to know."

"Oh don't be daft Merlin, Gwen and I practically walked in on you two at Morgana's party."

"Yea, after you and Gwen nearly broke the door down," Merlin pointed out and Lance grinned.

"You're right though, Uther can't know. Even if Arthur wasn't his son, he'd never approve and it has nothing to do with you being gay, he's just really against dating in the work place. It's worse because Arthur is his son and he expects Arthur to take over in a few years. Getting a reputation for sleeping with the staff is exactly the kind of things that would take Arthur out of the running. Uther would sooner put Morgana in charge if that was the situation and everyone knows that Morgana wants nothing more than to take over Camelot." Lance said, confirming everything Merlin already knew.

"I know..." he sighed and took a sip of his tea."So what can I do?" He vaguely wondered if he could trust Morgana at all, considering how much she knew and how much she wanted Camelot. He quickly brushed away the thought, she was his friend and Arthur's sister; she would never betray them like that for something so insignificant.

"How long have you guys been together?" Lance asked, knowing that their relationship had been complicated for some time now.

"Technically? Since Christmas eve but in reality, it's been developing since my birthday really." Merlin admitted.

"Does he feel the same way?"

"No, I don't think so, I mean... I don't know. It's only been a week since we slept together for the first time but god Lance, I've been falling for him for a while..."

"I know." Lance pointed out, "look Merlin, I can't speak for Arthur but I've known him a long time and I can honestly tell you that I think he's never felt the way he does about you for anyone else. I don't know how you two are going to make it work, but I think you need to find a way."

"What if Uther finds out?" Merlin asked, "What would happen?"

"He would probably have you fired and black listed just out of spite. As for Arthur... I don't know." Lance said grimly and Merlin nodded.

-Meanwhile at Camelot-

"Arthur," Erin knocked on his door gently, "Mr. Pendragon would like to see you."

"Alright, thank you Erin," Arthur got up from his desk, leaving his lunch half eaten and heading up to his father's office.

"Father," Arthur said as he stepped into Uther's office.

"Ah, hello Arthur, thank you for coming to see me." Uther stood up and pulled his coat on, "I won't keep you long. I just wanted to ask a small favor of you."

"Oh?"

"I'm leaving for the Los Angeles office for the annual inspection. I'll be gone for ten days, possibly longer and I need someone to look after the house. Normally I have Morgana do it but I would like to have her come with me this time, would you do it?" Uther asked.

"Yes, of course." Arthur nodded and Uther patted him on the shoulder as they walked out of the office together.

"Excellent. I'm leaving for LA now, I know that you will be spending the night at Morgana's party but if you could spend the rest of the nights at the manor, I would appreciate it."

"Of course, I'll be happy to."

After lunch, the team gathered again in the conference room and continued working on the platform. By five o-clock, everyone was itching to leave. Nearly everyone was going to Morgana's party and they knew it began at 7. However, Arthur was determined to get everything finished that day as the unveiling of the new look for Bailey and Gin was on Monday so he forced them to focus. But by 6, the group had become more unfocused than a group of school children two minutes before the end of classes.

"Alright, fine!" Arthur threw up his hands, "I give up," he said over everyone's chatting though few heard him, "go home!" That however, they did hear and they quickly gathered up their things and said goodnight. Merlin headed back to his office and packed up his things.

_-Meet you at the party, wear something sexy ;) -_ chimed his phone, a text from Arthur. Merlin grinned and left his office, trying to figure out his outfit.

_-See you there- M_

"Hey," Merlin said as he walked up to Morgana's flat and saw Mordred coming up from the other side of the sidewalk.

"Hello Emrys," Mordred smiled and they walked up the steps together.

"Looking forward to the party?" Merlin asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yea," Mordred nodded, feeling slightly awkward as the new guy and as well as the 'underling'.

"Well, first rule of Morgana's party is that no one is anyone's boss," Merlin reassured, seeming to have read Mordred's mind. "Or at least, that's the way I view it and everyone treats each other the same. When we're not on the clock, we're all just a bunch of people wanting to have a good time."

"Thanks," Mordred smiled and felt himself relax. "I hear there's going to be karaoke."

"Really?" Merlin laughed, that so wasn't Morgana's style but it definitely was Leon's and he had a feeling that Leon was responsible for changing up her usual elegant affair.

"You look good by the way," Mordred pointed out, admiring Merlin. He was wearing faded jeans that hugged his hips in a way that made Mordred want to tear them off. Above that he wore a pale blue t-shirt with his usual biker boots. Over that he wore his wool jacket that reached mid thigh and a dark blue scarf wrapped several times around his neck.

"Thanks," Merlin smiled, "you too," and he meant it. He hadn't failed to notice that Mordred was attractive, especially when he wore black with royal blue. He had such piercing eyes and the royal blue of his jacket made them all that more bright. Mordred blushed a little and Merlin knocked loudly on the door.

"Merlin!" Morgana exclaimed happily, "and Mordred! Come in my loves," she pulled them in and Merlin shook off his coat.

"Happy new year Morgana," Merlin kissed her cheeks and moved aside as she slipped her arm around Mordred. They greeted each other and Merlin watched them walk off, smiling to himself. It was good to see that Morgana was taking care of Mordred, he seemed a bit vulnerable and someone had to look after him. Merlin would have but Arthur was a handful on his own so he opted to let Morgana take care of it and as an added bonus, Morgana wasn't as interested in all things Merlin and Arthur. Folding his coat over his arm, Merlin looked around, taking in the breathtaking party. Arthur was right; she really did go all out for New Years. In the entrance hall where the giant Christmas tree had been only a week before stood a large replica of Big Ben, clicking away the minutes to midnight. The lights had been dimmed giving the flat an elegant and intimate look. Twinkling lights sparkled from unseen bulbs behind curtains and in the living room the bar had been moved to the center of the room creating a large square bar where two catering staff members served drinks. Bar stools stood against two sides of the bar and a few other tables had been brought in. Waiters in white jackets walked around the room carrying platters of tiny food or glasses of champagne. On the far left side of the room, a small stage had been put together where Leon was currently singing the course of a Metallica song. Merlin grinned at the scene and made his way to the bar.

"Black rum and coke please," he ordered.

"Hey," Lance greeted and Merlin waved.

"Hey, Gwen here?" He asked and Lance nodded in the direction of the stage where Gwen was currently standing with a group of people laughing.

"Can you believe Morgana actually allowed karaoke?" Lance asked both shock and amusement in his voice.

"No," Merlin laughed, "it's not very elegant, especially with Leon up there!" Both of them laughed.

"You going to make an appearance?"

"Me?" Merlin shook his head. He loved to sing and Lance was aware of that and had even heard him a couple times but that was different.

"Yea, why not? You're good," he encouraged.

"Ha ha, not good enough to sing in front a crowd." Merlin sipped his drink, savoring the spicy warmth of the rum.

"Guess we'll just have to get you drunk then."

"Suppose so!" Merlin grinned and leaned against the bar, scanning the crowd.

"Arthur isn't here yet," Lance said when he saw Merlin looking around. "Don't even try to deny that you were looking for him." Merlin made a face at Lance and waved as he saw Percy walking over with someone Merlin didn't recognize.

"Hey guys, this is Gwaine," Percy introduced and Merlin and Lance said hello. Gwaine nodded his hello and ordered a drink. Merlin scanned him over quickly; his gay-dar buzzing. Gwaine wore a pair of tight jeans, a black Apocalyptica shirt and a leather jacket. He had black unruly hair that was just a bit longer than Merlin's and shot out at all angles and he had thick stubble that Merlin couldn't decide if it was intentional or he had just been too lazy to shave that day but either way, it looked good. He was incredibly attractive and there was something he immediately liked about the other man.

"Fancy party," he said, flashing a smile that could make anyone swoon and jumped up on a bar stool. He spun around, drink in one hand and put his elbows up behind him as he leaned against the rail. He looked so incredibly out of place with his messy, street look but at the same time, he looked like he fit right in. He seemed to drip charisma and Merlin noticed the many glances he earned.

"Yea, Morgana doesn't ever do anything half way. So how did you guys meet?" Merlin asked, curious as to who this guy was and what he was doing with Percy.

"Picked him up at a bar the other night, had to talk a cop out of arresting him." Percy explained easily and both Lance and Merlin gave him a kind of horrified look.

"Oh don't get your knickers in a bunch," Gwaine said with a laugh, "the cop was an arse. I was simply having a _discussion_ (Percy chocked on his drink) with this bigot and the ass decided that I was the one causing trouble."

"Why do I feel like that's only part of the story?" Merlin asked, eyeing Gwaine and grinning.

"Because you're right," Percy shook his head. "He was hitting on this guy and his advances weren't exactly appreciated," he explained and Merlin looked at Percy, taken aback. He had never figured Percy to be gay and he rarely missed that kind of thing. It was like a defensive ability that most gay men acquired-they were able to identify each other in order to protect one another.

"Yea well," Gwaine grinned and shrugged, looking at Percy with such an intense look it made Merlin blush, "Percy was downright a knight in shining armour," he went on, "good thing too, couldn't exactly have a record to taint my innocent reputation." Merlin snorted into his drink.

"Anyway," Percy cleared his throat, shifting slightly under Gwaine's stare, "I couldn't leave him there to get his ass kicked so we went to a different bar, had a couple drinks and turns out Gwaine's applied to Camelot."

"Really?" Lance grinned, "What department?"

"Financial."

"Huh," Merlin blinked in surprise, this guy was definitely full of surprises.

"I know, I don't look like a pencil pushing accountant," Gwaine said with a grin and shrugged, "but I'm good with numbers, got to be when you like to gamble like me." Percy laughed and ordered a drink for himself.

"I thought I'd invite him to the party, even if he doesn't get hired, at least he can meet everyone and have a good time."

"Well it's good to meet you and good luck on the job," Merlin offered, sincerely meaning it.

"Thanks mate!"

Just as the crowd parted a bit, Merlin caught sight of Arthur weaving his way through and locked eyes. He felt his knees weaken a bit and had to take a seat on a stool to keep himself up right.

"All right," Arthur greeted his hair damp from the rain that had started.

"You just missed Leon's debut," Lance said, pointing to the stage where Leon was stepping down and heading over.

"Oh no, Morgana didn't seriously let him set that up did she?"

"Oh she did," Lance grinned, "and he's been up there making our ears bleed for the past half hour." Arthur quickly informed the others that Leon has been pushing for a karaoke set up for the New Year's party for the past five years and Morgana never gave in. Until now, Merlin thought to himself.

"Hey!" Leon pouted as he made his way into the circle, "I'm a fantastic singer, hell of a lot better than you!"

"That's true," Lance laughed, "but you haven't heard Merlin and sorry to say Leon, but he'll have a run for your money."

"Oh really?" Leon looked at Merlin who was glaring at Lance furiously.

"No," Merlin lied.

"Oh don't be modest Mer!" Lance patted his shoulder and Merlin caught Arthur's look of interest out of the corner of his eye.

"Arthur have you met Gwaine?" Merlin interjected, trying to change the subject which was the wrong thing because immediately everyone, including Gwaine began insisting on hearing Merlin sing.

"Come on Merlin!" Arthur incited.

"Maybe later," Merlin said, finally giving in, "after I've had a few more drinks."

"Bartender!" Gwaine hailed and everyone roared with laughter. He ordered shots all around and soon, the group was clinking glasses together, shouting happy New Year and wishing Gwaine luck on his application. They were quickly joined by Gwen, Morgana and Mordred and they moved to a table, pushing two together as they talked animatedly about the next two weeks at work that would be Uther-free. Morgana was thoroughly annoyed to have to be accompanying her father on the trip. He would not explain to her why and she was still ranting as Merlin's phone beeped and he looked down at it between shots.

_-Meant to talk to you about my father leaving. He wants me to look after the house while he's gone, feel like shacking up with me for a week or so? A- _

Merlin looked up at Arthur who was sitting at the other end of the table watching him. Merlin grinned and nodded, holding up his glass to say yes.

"Salute!" Gwaine yelled as he saw Merlin's glass and Merlin and Arthur both laughed while the others yelled "salute" and they all washed down their drinks.

Two hours later, at 11, Merlin's head was spinning and his stomach turned angrily as he finished off another tequila shot.

"Ok that's enough," he finally said, pushing away the next shot that Leon had passed to him.

"Drunk enough to sing for us now?" Leon asked and Merlin grinned.

"Yea, maybe," he licked his lips, Leon's face danced in front of him. "Don't know what to sing though," he admitted and leaned back in his chair, "gotta think about it."

"Do a ballad," Lance suggested, "you're good at those."

"You've hardly heard me sing," Merlin slurred, "it was just that one time at your flat and here you are, thinking I'm the next Lennon."

Everyone laughed as Merlin drunkenly argued with Lance, attempting to point his finger at him but instead it pointed at Mordred who sat two seats away from him.

"I'm going to get some air and when I come back, then I'll sing," he informed them and managed to get to his feet without falling. "Whoa..." he grabbed his head, attempting to make it stop spinning and felt gentle hands on him, holding him up.

"I'll take him outside," Arthur said and carefully led Merlin out back. He opened the patio doors and Merlin stumbled forward, barely missing the steps and catching the railing.

"Shit, I'm pissed." Merlin admitted.

"Yup," Arthur grinned and slipped his arms around Merlin, "mmm drunken sex," he grinned and Merlin giggled which quickly ended with a hiccup.

"Oh shit," Merlin hiccupped again, "I'm embarrassing myself."

"Nah, everyone else is just as sloshed," he pointed out, which was completely true. "So can you really sing?" Arthur asked, and Merlin turned around to look at him.

"I don't know," he shrugged, his head finally clearing a bit as he gulped down the fresh air. "I'm not bad I guess."

"I want to hear you sing," Arthur whispered and Merlin made a face.

"I'm not good at rock or anything though, mostly just do acoustic shit."

"So? Doesn't have to be fancy, just sing something." Arthur pressed and Merlin sighed. "For me?"

"Fine," he glared but he couldn't hold it for long before he grinned. They went back inside, Arthur headed back to their table and Merlin went over to the DJ who was in charge of the karaoke. He whispered the song title to him and stumbled up on to the stage, causing a few chuckles. He drew in a deep breath and grabbed the mic and nodded to the DJ. Soft piano started and Merlin licked his lips nervously.

What would I do without your smart mouth?  
>Drawing me in, and you kicking me out<br>You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down  
>What's going on in that beautiful mind<br>I'm on your magical mystery ride  
>And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright<p>

He sang and immediately, the crowd fell silent as Merlin's gentle voice filled the room. Arthur felt his stomach flip over at the sound of his voice; he couldn't look away from him.

My head's under water  
>But I'm breathing fine<br>You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

'Cause all of me  
>Loves all of you<br>Love your curves and all your edges  
>All your perfect imperfections<br>Give your all to me  
>I'll give my all to you<br>You're my end and my beginning  
>Even when I lose I'm winning<br>'Cause I give you all of me  
>And you give me all of you, ohoh<p>

Merlin tried not to look at Arthur but every few lines, he would find Arthur's unfaltering gaze. He closed his eyes and sang, singing just for him and getting lost in the melody. As the song ended the crowd erupted in applause. He moved to get off the stage but they shouted for an encore and Merlin, bolstered by their praise, gave in. He told the DJ to play Kill of the Night by Gin Wigmore and began singing it. The crowd roared, clapping loudly and whistling as he began to move across the stage, swaying his hips suggestively to his recently favorite song.

"Now you're mine, but what do I do with you, boy. I'll take your heart, to kick around as a toy," he sang, stepping off the stage and walking over to the nearest guy and running his hand over his cheek. The guy's friends laughed and Merlin sauntered away, dancing to the music. When the bridge came, he rolled his hips, letting his free hand slide up his stomach suggestively. He waved his hand, encouraging the crowd to sing with him the final part and finally, his eyes found Arthur's again and he grinned."I'm gonna get ya, get ya," he sang. Laughing as the song ended, the crowd cheered and he set the mic down much to their disapproval. He collapsed breathlessly into his chair and everyone at his table whistled and whooped.

"That was incredible," Morgana praised and Merlin blushed, diving into his forgotten drink.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Well," Leon looked at Merlin approvingly, "you're not as bad as you look."

"Gee, thanks," Merlin grinned and smiled over at Arthur. Everyone was too drunk to notice the look they exchanged, everyone but Mordred who was carefully not drinking too much, he didn't like to lose control of himself. He noticed the way that Merlin practically sang both songs to Arthur and he decided that, much to his dislike, the two must be together but for whatever reasons, were keeping it quiet. He wasn't too pleased about that, as there was something about Merlin that Mordred found irresistible.

"You'll have to do another performance!" Gwaine informed him, "no better way to kick off the New Year than with a good drink and good music."

"I don't think I could possibly drink anymore," Merlin mumbled, hiccupping and looking into his glass. Morgana stood up and made her way to the stage, the table and crowd encouraging her on.

"I'm not going sing," Morgana said to the disappointment of everyone as she took the microphone, "but it is five minutes to midnight and I wanted to give a little speech before we begin the countdown." She paused, taking in everyone who was gathered there, "I want to say thank you all for coming, and it has been a fabulous party and year. Much has changed in this past year and I know more will change in the coming year. I've often told Arthur that I can see the future; that I have visions in my dreams and they always come true. For 2015, I foresee a shift in the balance of power at Camelot," Morgana spoke, her voice taking on an eerie tone and her gaze locked with the crowd. Merlin grinned, she was playing it up well, "there will be financial changes... ah yes, Gwaine, you will get the job." She grinned, "I also see another performance by Emrys, and now if you will all join me! 10... 9..."

They counted in the New Year, shouting as the miniature Big Ben struck midnight and everyone turned, kissing their partners and friends. Merlin was looking at Arthur when he felt someone else's hands on his cheeks and lips press against his own.

Coming up to the end of what I've already written so updates will go back to one chapter a day :) At least for tomorrow, since I'm working all day. But off Saturday, Sunday and Monday and I'm going to be writing all day! lol so thank you again for your reviews! I'm so happy to see so many readers and taking the time out to review is awesome. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the ones to come next!


	18. Chapter 17

Sorry for the delay in getting this up! Thanks again for the reviews! Indeed Mordred is about to stir things up! Morgana is a wonderful person but will something in the near future change that? Only way to find out is for me to keep writing and you to keep reading! :D

Chapter 17

Mordred kissed Merlin hard but quick, pulling away, grinning and turning to Morgana to kiss her cheeks. Merlin stood frozen, blinking in surprise and staring at Mordred.

"Don't look so scared," Mordred laughed, hitting him on the shoulder, "I just figured I'd take advantage of the whole 'no one is your boss at this party' rule and get it over with." Merlin laughed awkwardly.

"Alright," he blushed and smiled, feeling slightly put off but not enough to be upset. As for Arthur though, Merlin could nearly see smoke coming out of his ears. The look of absolute rage quickly vanished from Arthur's expression though, and a warm smile was quick to replace it as he kissed Gwen's cheeks. Merlin wished he could have kissed Arthur, but instead he could still feel Mordred's lips against his. Despite it being unwanted and quick, it had been a good kiss and the effects were still making his lips tingle. Merlin looked over at Mordred who was talking with Morgana, both smiling and Mordred looked over at Merlin. He wondered at the look in his eyes, there was something about Mordred that made Merlin distrust him but there was also something alluring about him. He reminded him of himself, and he knew just how many secrets he kept, how much he kept from the world. He wondered what Mordred kept well concealed.

"Merlin!" Gwaine shouted, coming over to him and dragging him out of his thoughts. "Come, we're going to play a drinking game!"

"Oh no," Merlin groaned, weren't they already far past drunk?

"Oh but it's a lot of fun," Gwaine encouraged and Merlin gave in, sitting down at the bar.

"What's the game?" He asked as Gwaine got behind the bar, ignoring the bartender's complaints.

"Where's the water," Gwaine said with a cheeky grin.

"Right over there," Merlin pointed to a large flat of water bottles and Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"Have you seriously never played it?" He asked and looked over at Percy, Lance and Leon who had all eagerly come over, they all shook their heads. "Wow, you're a sorry lot! You have to take this shot, drink it, and say 'mmm water', and convince all of us it is water when it might actually be gin, vodka, sambuca or," he paused, looking around the bar for another clear alcohol, "rum" he said pulling the bottle of white rum over. "If you don't look convincing, you drink another shot until you do."

"Is there any actually just water?" Merlin asked.

"Course," Gwaine grinned and grabbed several shot glasses. He turned around and proceeded to fill each glass without letting them see. Once filled, he placed them in a row in front of Merlin and grinned. "You get to start pretty boy."

Merlin gawked and looked at the others for help but they only grinned. He sighed and picked up the first glass.

"Don't smell it now," Gwaine warned and Merlin closed his eyes and quickly shot back the water.

"Mmm, water" he choked as the vodka burned his nose hairs and the others all laughed.

"Again," Gwaine laughed, passing him another. Merlin licked his lips and looked at him, trying to force his face to remain impassive. He drank it quickly, the sweet tang of the rum burning down his throat.

"Mmm, water" he said, this time so convincing that they clapped. Merlin pushed a shot glass to Leon who took it and shot it back without flinching.

"Mmm tasty water," he said grinning. They continued playing, Percy and Lance both had to take new shots and soon, Mordred and Arthur joined them. The bartender took over for Gwaine and Merlin quickly made it his mission to make Gwaine fail just once but couldn't seem to catch any sign that he was lying after each shot. He was clearly a skilled and regular at the game. They sat around the bar, shooting back shots and managed to only play a couple rounds before the already drunk individuals got distracted and began singing, or ranting about something someone said. Merlin sat quietly on his stool, the world a pleasant swirl around him, his eyes dropping tiredly as he listened to everyone around him. Arthur and Lance were currently arguing over the best method to tie a tie and Gwaine, Percy and Leon were discussing the merits of different alcohols when Mordred brushed up against Merlin, drawing his attention.

"Mordred," Merlin said, slurring his name a bit and making it sound more like 'Morrid".

"Emyrs," Mordred slurred back, and Merlin wasn't sure if he really was sitting so close to him that he was only inches away or if it was just the alcohol making it seem that way.

"You're interesting," Merlin finally said, staring into Mordred's baby blues and he had the sensation of being pulled underwater.

"How so?" He asked, he wasn't nearly as drunk as Merlin. He was good at the drinking game, good at keeping his face void of anything and so he had only had two shots. Over the entire night, he'd only had five drinks and so he only felt a pleasant warmth and that sort of boldness that only alcohol can provide.

"I don't know what you're thinking," he responded, his eyes searching Mordred's.

"And you often know what others are thinking?"

Merlin nodded vigorously, making his whole body move with his head as it bobbed up and down. "It's my super power but shh," he put his finger to his lip, "it's a secret." Mordred grinned, his eyes falling to Merlin's juicy lips and he leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I won't tell, I promise," he whispered, happy when Merlin shivered against his breath.

"What are you up to?" Merlin asked, his voice strangely serious and almost sounded sober.

"Nothing," he replied, looking at Merlin with the most innocent look.

"I don't trust you," he said bluntly and Mordred frowned, hurt by the sudden and undeserving mistrust.

"I'll just have to earn your trust then," he said and moved away. He was hurt by Merlin's words and they made him feel guilty despite having done nothing wrong. Maybe he had flirted with him and sure, he'd kissed him at midnight, but why was that such a bad thing? It wasn't like Merlin was walking around with a wedding band on his finger. Still, Mordred felt guilty and he wondered what it was about Merlin that could make him feel like he wasn't good enough.

Merlin watched Mordred walk away and he felt a pang of guilt for what he'd said but was really too drunk to care. He wanted to go home. It was coming close to two am and he was tired and hungry and horny and just wanted to suck Arthur off and eat some crisps. He looked over at Arthur and then pulled out his phone.

_I ent go hme ad fuk u_ he typed and it send. He watched as Arthur reached into his pocket, stumbling back a little as if doing so had made him lose his balance. He grinned when Arthur's eyebrows raised and he saw the hint of that smile of his.

_We can't leave together_ he managed to type back perfectly and Merlin glared at it.

_Y not? To drunk get ome mself ned helpo_ he sent back. Arthur grinned at Merlin's inability to type drunk. Merlin squeaked as he thought of something and quickly began typing. _Lancr csn drop mr off at ur pace_.

_Why would he do that?_ Arthur sent back, desperately trying hard not to look over at Merlin.

_Cus he nos bout us_.

He felt his eye twitch slightly as he read Merlin's text. How the hell did he know? He clenched his jaw, now was not the time to ask Merlin, he could barely get a sentence out, let alone explain this. Besides, Merlin had already jumped (more like fallen) off his stool and run over to Lance.

"Lance!" Merlin grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Leon. "I need you." He said and Lance looked down at the incredibly pissed Merlin.

"Need me to put you in a cab home?"

"Kind of, can you take me to Arthur's?" He asked, grinning stupidly and Lance looked over his shoulder automatically. He was about to just say he'd put him in a cab when he realized that there was no way in hell that Arthur's doorman would let Merlin in the building in his current state. He was surprised with his own ability to think straight at this point, but truth be told, he hadn't drank nearly as much as everyone else.

"Yea," Lance smiled and told Merlin to go wait by the door while he got their things and asked Gwen if she was ready to leave.

"Bye!" Merlin shouted, waving like an idiot at everyone as Lance and Gwen guided him out of Morgana's flat and into a cab.

"Blimey," Gwen cursed as he held Merlin in a sitting position while Lance gave the cabby the address. "He's a mess," she shook her head.

"He really can't hold his alcohol," Lance pointed and Gwen laughed.

"More like he drank half of the canal! Honestly, I can't believe those bartenders continued to serve him." She said in disapproval.

"Morgana was paying them to keep serving drinks; I don't think they would have refused anyone."

"It isn't healthy," Gwen tisked and Lance smiled over at her. She was right of course, but he also knew that it was New Years and Merlin didn't get pissed often so he didn't care. It was practically tradition to drink oneself into oblivion at Morgana's New Years party.

Lance walked Merlin up to Arthur's flat and poured him into bed. He didn't wait for Arthur and didn't bother to undress him, he knew that Arthur had left just moments after them. Sure enough, he passed Arthur as he was walking out and said goodnight again.

Despite what Merlin had texted him, Arthur was not at all surprised that when he came into the bedroom, Merlin was sprawled across the bed, passed out cold. He smiled tiredly and fumbled with his clothes. Deciding that they were far too complicated to take off, he crawled into bed, pushing Merlin over and lying down. Merlin groaned in his sleep and then curled up against Arthur and the last thing he remembered was the feel of Merlin's hair tickling his chin.

It was death. This was it, he was dying, he was sure of it. This is what it must feel like to be dying he thought. He just wanted this to end, please god, let it end he begged. Instead, Arthur was shoving a glass of what he assumed had to be swamp water because it was a horrible brown and green color and certainly smelled like one.

"Drink this," Arthur ordered and Merlin shrank away from it. Maybe if he curled up into the smallest possible ball, he could just disappear.

"No," he whimpered and Arthur rolled his eyes, "just please Arthur, kill me. Just do it, put me out of my misery. I'll even write a note and everything explaining I made you do it, that you had no choice. It would be a mercy killing, no one would blame you, just please, please Arthur."

"You did this to yourself," he said patiently and Merlin looked up at him with a look that could have murdered kittens.

"I am a victim of Morgana and her New Years Eve party," he spat coldly and Arthur laughed. "No!" Merlin whisper yelled and covered Arthur's face with his hand, attempting to silence him. Arthur laughed and grabbed Merlin's wrist, pulling him up from the bed. He cried out in protest, wanting nothing more than to just disappear into the covers. "This is not right; it's inhumane to make me suffer like this!"

"Oh common _Mer_lin, it's just a hangover!" Arthur groaned, god he could be such a baby sometimes!

"I would like to see you with this hangover; you'd be curled up in the corner trying to claw your eyes out." Merlin informed him.

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes," Merlin nodded and finally, finally opened his eyes a smidge and immediately withered and hissed. "Oh my god it's so fucking bright!"

"Oh Christ! Fine, lay here in bed all day like a vampire," Arthur said, releasing Merlin and he immediately buried himself under the blankets and pillows. "But I'm going to my father's manor where there will be lots of darkness to hide in, giant king size beds to lie in and all the food you could possibly want. I know, I know, you wouldn't be interested in coming." Merlin peered out from under the blankets and looked at Arthur suspiciously.

"Fluffy, soft beds?"

"Oh yes, with feathered pillows and feather duvets and a fireplace."

"And food?"

"Endless amounts."

"Food in bed?"

"Food brought to you by a servant," Arthur said and then smiled when he knew exactly what to say to seal the bed, "food I didn't cook, brought to you in bed and fifty inch screen to watch Doctor Who."

With those magic words, Merlin sat up in bed and threw the covers off.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

Arthur's family home was a castle, Merlin was pretty sure of it. He wondered if it was registered with any touring companies. The house was set just outside the city, surrounded by trees and the driveway that wound through the well landscaped gardens was at least a mile long. When the house came into view, Merlin couldn't help but gasp. The Pendragon estate was a breathtaking home that looked like it belonged in the guide books for London. The large grey and red stones towered over them and Merlin couldn't help himself as he rolled down the window and looked out. He could tell that it clearly dated back to the 14th century in the architecture. There were two tall circular towers that reached high into the sky. The driveway round its way to the entrance and circled a large fountain before joining back around on itself. There was a set of large stone steps that tiered up to a set of heavy oak doors. As Merlin got out of the car, he looked around; he had to remind himself to close his mouth.

"This is where you grew up?" He asked and looked over at Arthur.

"Yea," he said easily, not even paying attention to the look of awe on Merlin's face as he grabbed their bags.

The doors opened and an older man wearing a black tux stepped out, squinting at the brightness of the sun.

"Master Arthur," he greeted in a solemn voice.

"Hello Stewart" Arthur warmly greeted back and walked up the steps. He stopped when he was only a foot away from the butler, "I can trust you to not mention this," he said, looking at Merlin, "to my father?" He asked. Stewart had been hired by his mother and stayed on after she died out of loyalty. Arthur was pretty sure that he had come to hate his father but would not leave because it had become his home and he had nowhere else to go. Uther always treated Stewart like he treated anyone else who was 'below' him which meant he showed very little respect at all. Unlike Uther, Arthur had respected him his entire life, admiring his commitment to his mother. Stewart had once mentioned knowing Arthur's mother before she had married Uther, having worked for her before and when she married Arthur's father, he had moved into the manor with her. In return for Arthur's respect and fair treatment, Stewart treated Arthur like a son and any secret that Arthur trusted him with would go with him to his grave. "Merlin this is Stewart, he is a friend of the family and works here for my father. If you need anything and I'm not around, you can ask him and he'll help you."

"Hi," Merlin waved, he wasn't sure why he was so surprised to see that Arthur had a servant but it made him realize just how different their lives had been growing up. He followed Arthur into the house and gaped as he walked in. "Wow," he said, staring at the art work and marveling at just how medieval it all was.

"It's been in my family for five generations and not much has changed," Arthur explained as he led Merlin deeper into the house. "My great, great great something grandfather bought this property off a duke, I forget which one off the top of my head, but he purchased it in 1585."

"Holy fuck," Merlin froze, staring at Arthur, "are you saying you're actually descendent from some old king or some shit?" Arthur laughed.

"No, not a king, a nobleman yes and maybe he was once related to someone important," he said with shrug, "it's all irrelevant now though, my father is the only surviving Pendragon besides myself."

"Still, that's... well the names at work make a bit more sense now," Merlin mumbled.

"What names?"

"Oh you know, how people call you guys the royal family of Camelot."

"Ah, yes they do enjoy that," he smiled and led Merlin upstairs, walking past paintings of portraits of his ancestors. "Here we are," he said finally as he pushed open a door and walked into a large room.

Arthur's bedroom was a large room with stone walls and floor. Across from the door was a large king size canopy bed of elm wood. The bed was covered with a dark red duvet with gold thread embroidering an interact design. Dozens of pillows made the site all the more inviting and the thought of Arthur taking Merlin in the bed made his heart race. It was a bed fit for a king, Merlin thought and smiled over at Arthur. The few windows into the room were large and were stained glass, making the blue and red lights dance off Arthur's golden hair. Across from the bed was a large elm desk that Merlin knew must have been an antique from an entirely different century and he wondered if everything in here was what had always been here since 1585.

Arthur set their bags on the large chest at the foot of the bed and began unpacking their clothes into the wardrobe.

"This is your bedroom?" Merlin asked finally, running his fingers over one of the posts on the bed.

"Wasn't that obvious?" Arthur asked with a smirk and Merlin glared over at him.

"It's," he struggled for the right words, "so different from your place." It was as different as night is from day compared to Arthur's flat. Where there were stone walls and a cold fireplace here, there were warm carpets and bright inviting light there. The walls in Arthur's bedroom at home were a dark blue, like the ocean on a stormy night but there were large windows that let in the early morning light. The floor was covered in a thick white carpet and his bed, a king size as well, was covered in a large, fluffy white duvet with blue pillows. Everything about the bedroom screamed warmth, comfort and safety where this room felt wrong to Merlin. The walls were stone and barren save for a few portraits of ancient wars. The floor was stone as well and only the bed sat on an area rug and despite being at least five feet high, the windows allowed very little light to actually penetrate the room and instead left it feeling gloomy. There was even a bit of a draft and Merlin realized that despite the beauty of this place, it belonged in a different time and it felt as if they were merely ghosts visiting instead of this being a home for anyone.

"My father has always enjoyed the medieval era and so he had the decorators restore it to its original decor. It was built in the 1400's so its, well old," Arthur tried to explain, feeling slightly self conscious. He had always hated bringing people over as a child. He had never realized just how strange his house was until he went to Leon's house. It was large, perhaps almost equal in square footage but it was modern and warm. It looked like people actually lived there instead of just staying there temporarily. There were pictures of his family, toys in the living room, and their laughter didn't echo down hallways. Ever since then, he was aware of just how odd his father's house was and it had become the very symbol of everything he loathed about their relationship. It was empty, cold, and distant just like Uther.

"It's beautiful," Merlin assured him and sat down on the bed, surprised by its softness.

"Want a tour?"


	19. Chapter 18

This is a short one, bit of a filler really but things will get interesting next chapter!

Chapter Eighteen

"I'm glad we have this chance to talk," Uther said to Morgana over dinner. She had arrived in LA that evening and had joined Uther for dinner upon his request. She was not at all impressed by the fact that she had to come with him on the inspection. She hated LA and everything about it. It was dry and hot and the vulgarity of Americans disgusted her.

"Oh?" She asked, setting down her fork and taking a sip of her wine.

"Yes, we hardly get the opportunity anymore," he said and Morgana wondered what he was getting at.

"It is indeed a rare gift," she said, leaning back in her chair and studying her father.

"I wanted to hear your opinion about something I've heard floating around the office."

"Oh come Uther, you know you can't believe any of the gossip that is spread around the office." She said with a tisk and he looked up at her with the cold gaze of someone who knew all the rules to the game when she didn't even realize they were playing a game.

"Every good business man knows that there's always some truth in gossip and knows he has to use the gossip to find out what his employees are really up to." He said coldly, "I've often had to rely on gossip to find out anything about what you and Arthur are doing," Morgana's hand froze momentarily as she went to set down the glass.

"Oh? And what are the people saying about us this time?" She asked, forcing her voice to sound tired and impatient instead of allowing it to betray the anxiety that was growing inside of her.

"Well," he leaned back and chuckled to himself, "some of it is pretty ridiculous," he smiled.

"It usually is, but still, you want my opinion on it?"

"Well I know that the rumors about Merlin and Arthur are just that, rumors but I'm curious to hear your opinion on the rumors about you and Leon?" Uther finally said after several minutes pause. Morgana froze, her whole body tensed and she stared at him, unable to speak. "I thought so," he said before she could find her voice. "I thought I had made it very clear my feelings about mixing your personal lives with your professional ones?"

"I," she swallowed and took a quick gulp of water, "I understand your feelings about it and my relationship with Leon has not interfered with my work." She made herself sound strong and determined despite feeling like a terrified child.

"When you get back to London, you will end it or pay the consequence," he said firmly and went back to his steak.

"I love him," she said, not finished with this conversation.

"There is no place for love at Camelot, look for it elsewhere."

"I will not," she said through clenched teeth. How dare he try to control her like this? All her life he had controlled her. She had gone to Harvard school of Business, she was the top of her class and yet he humiliated her by shoving her off to work in the marketing department. She was the child he never wanted, she always knew that, even from a young age. Her mother had been a servant in his house and a mere distraction from the loneliness of his life and when she got pregnant, he had sent her away. She did not meet him until her mother had died and she was sent to her only living family-the Pendragons. Uther had taken her in only to avoid the spotlight of the media and she spent her adolescence and teen years being shipped off to boarding schools, only returning for Christmas and the summer breaks. She did everything to try and earn his love and yet over and over he shunned her. Arthur was given everything and for a very long time she hated him for it. She still resented him for it even now but it was Uther she had come to silently hate. He had no right to tell her now who she could and could not love.

"Excuse me?" He asked, eyebrow raised in surprise at her refusal to do as he said.

"I will not end my relationship with Leon simply because you do not approve." She spat angrily and he set down his fork and appraised her for a very long minute.

"Fine," he said and went back to dinner. He would not discuss it any further and though he had appeared to have given into Morgana she knew better. This was not over and she feared that she had just done something she would not be able to take back.

-Back in London-

Merlin gasped for breath, gripping the headboard tightly as the world came back into focus. Arthur leaned over him and grinned, licking his lips clear of any remaining come and kissing Merlin gently. Merlin had to force himself not to say he loved him but instead, laced his fingers through Arthur's hair and kissed him deeper, putting all of his unsaid words into the kiss. Arthur moaned loudly against Merlin's lips, his tongue tasting the sweetness of Merlin's. He could never have enough of Merlin, he was always wanting more, needed more. He slid his hand under Merlin's head and they rolled together, Merlin straddling him and grinding his hips against his cock, making him moan even louder.

"Merlin," he gasped as Merlin pulled away and he looked up at his perfect body. He could have been a model Arthur thought. He was perfectly lean with spiral muscles that coiled under his skin when he moved. Arthur had never noticed those muscles before when he was clothed, they were the kind that a person gets from repetitive sports like biking and running. Unlike Arthur's muscles which were visible even in a sweater and he had developed them from years in the gym and playing tennis. Arthur ran his hands over Merlin's abs, making the smaller man shiver with his touch.

"What are you looking at?" He asked and Arthur just grinned.

"Just the sexiest idiot in London," he teased and Merlin smacked him with a pillow.

"So where is this food you promised me?" Merlin said after Arthur had finally stopped beating him with pillows and they were now lying back in bed.

"What do you want?" He asked, brushing the hair away from his eyes.

"Hmm," Merlin thought for a moment, "fish sticks and custard."

"That's disgusting," Arthur stated and Merlin pouted.

"But we're going to watch that episode of Who and I thought it would be fun," Merlin explained.

"Fine, I suppose but don't expect me to eat any!" He leaned over Merlin and picked up the phone that sat on is bedside table. He pressed the two button and waited. "Good evening Diane," he said when the cook answered, "how is your night?"

Merlin watched Arthur call the cook and slipped out from his arms to get dressed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Arthur asked, hanging up and setting the phone down.

"Getting dressed."

"Why on earth would you do that?"

"Because, I don't want anyone to... I don't know, it's weird." Merlin stammered and Arthur sat up and pulled him back into bed.

"No one is going to say anything to my father. Despite the fact that they work for him, Stewart is their leader and they listen to him. He'll tell them to keep this to themselves, besides, Stewart will be the one to bring the food in." Arthur explained, pulling the shirt Merlin had put on off.

"But still, it must be weird I mean, to see you with another man?"

"He knows I'm gay," Merlin froze. It was the first time Arthur had ever said anything like that before and Arthur quickly went on, "well, maybe bi but definitely leaning towards gay. Anyway, when I was younger and going through puberty, I went to Stewart. He's been able to be there for me in ways that my father isn't capable of. He's like family. I had a crush on an old mate of mine and Steward talked me through it. He helped me keep those kinds of feelings to myself," Arthur explained.

"So... he taught you how to deny who you were?" Merlin asked, rather critically.

"No _Mer_lin, he protected me. If I had gone to my father and told him that I had feelings for another boy," Arthur shook his head and Merlin saw the fear in his eyes. He had never had to worry about coming out of the closet. Telling his mother that he was gay was like telling her he was going to wear jeans that day, it was easy. They had shared everything and he knew that no matter what, she would love him anyway. He smiled at Arthur and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm glad you had someone to help you," he said with a smile and kissed Arthur's cheek. "Now, where's the tv? I'll put on Doctor Who."

Arthur reached into the night table's drawer and pulled out a remote. Merlin gasped as the footboard clicked and a TV started to rise up and fill the space between the bedposts.

"Whoa," he looked over at Arthur and grinned, "that's pretty fucking sweet."

"I know," Arthur grinned back, "my father was really not happy when he came home to find that I had 'mutilated a historical piece of work'."

"But this is historical," Merlin said pointed at the TV, "it's so pretty." Arthur laughed. "DVD slot is on the side."

Merlin grabbed the pack of dvds and pulled out the correct disk and slipped it into the TV. Twenty minutes later, Merlin sat there dipping fish sticks into custard and Arthur ate a pulled pork sandwich while they watched patient zero elude the doctor. They fell asleep shortly after the next episode started and didn't wake again until morning.

They spent the rest of the weekend horseback riding, walking around the grounds and watching Doctor Who in bed. They did enjoy a midnight skinny dip in the indoor pool and Arthur thoroughly destroyed Merlin in a game of tennis the next day.

On Monday, they went back to work and things remained the same as they had before. Mordred acted no differently and Merlin almost forgot about the kiss. Each night, they returned to the manor and Arthur would show him a new part of the house he hadn't seen yet. It had been like a vacation but Merlin was glad to return back to his own flat a week later. He had missed Kilgharrah (they did stop in every day after work to feed and check on him) and missed his own bed, despite the many lumps. He was also exhausted and, though he said nothing to Arthur, a tad sore from all the activity in and out of the bedroom. Horseback riding after having spent the night riding Arthur had been a bit like torture. So Merlin was a bit relieved to have a night to himself where he could curl up with Kilgharrah and take up the entire bed as he fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 19

Ok so it's a short chapter, Sorry about that. still trying to figure out how I'm going to do everything. It doesn't help that I got inspired to write a different Merthur story and now it's brewing in the back of my mind and distracting me. Let me know what you think of the last couple chapters. hopefully I'll get this sorted and will be able to write a lot more tomorrow!

Chapter Nineteen

This was not happening Morgana thought as she stormed into Uther's office. That had returned to London the day before and Uther had left a cryptic message on Morgana's voicemail about reaping the consequences of her actions. Leon had showed up at her office moments later, white as a ghost. She would kill him, she thought as she threw open his door.

"How dare you!" She screamed and Uther quickly got off the phone.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You fired him! How dare you fire him! He has done NOTHING wrong!" She spat, angry tears spilling down her flushed cheeks.

"You will lower your voice," Uther ordered.

"I will do no such thing!" She screamed even louder and Uther hurriedly closed the door. He would not want a scandal like this reaching the media.

"You will sit down and show me the respect I deserve," he spat and Morgana glared at him in defiance.

"You deserve nothing from me."

It was surprising, even though she saw it coming, when Uther's hand came up and he slapped her hard across the face. She stumbled and caught the chair before she fell. Immediately, she cupped her cheek and looked at him with horror. He had not slapped her in years and it severity of it seemed to shock both of them.

"Morgana," he said gently, stepping towards her. She backed away from him, afraid. "I'm sorry, please just sit down and let me explain."

"There is nothing you could say that would make this ok Uther," her voice was weak and shook.

"Darling, please" he moved forward again and she opened the door.

"Do not speak to me ever again." She spat and stormed away. Morgana pushed past the small amount of employees that had gathered in the hallway and ignored their stares. She held her head high as she walked into Arthur's office and ordered Merlin and Gavin out.

"Morgana," Arthur stood up, "I am in the middle of a meeting," he said as he watched Gavin and Merlin leave.

"He fired Leon," she said, not bothering to explain who, he would know who.

"What?" Arthur rushed over to her.

"And he hit me," she said, her voice breaking as Arthur pulled her into his arms.

"Shit," Arthur couldn't think of anything else to say, he was too surprised. Uther had a bad temper, the two of them knew that better than anyone and it wasn't beyond him to slap Arthur when he was growing up and had done something wrong. He hadn't really cared, it had just been his father's way, but when he had found out he hit Morgana on more than one occasion, he had shown his father just how unacceptable that was. He had never hit her again, until now. She cried into his shoulder, holding him tightly as she struggled to speak.

"He can't fire him," she cried.

"He can," Arthur whispered. It wasn't illegal. It was in all of their employment contracts that should they have an 'inappropriate' relationship with a co-worker, it was grounds for immediate termination. Most people didn't care about it, though some had expressed their dislike of it. Of course, existing relationships were allowed, but Uther rarely ever hired anyone who was dating or married to someone already working at Camelot.

"He will never let me be happy," Morgana said as she pulled away and turned away from him.

"That's not true Morgana," Arthur handed her some Kleenex and leaned back against his desk, "he's just stubborn. Let me talk to him, maybe I can make him see reason." She scoffed at his words.

"He will not see reason Arthur. You know how he is when he has made up his mind." She said, defeated as she sat down.

"I will at least try," he assured her and gave her shoulder a squeeze before leaving.

"What's going on?" Merlin asked when Arthur came out and he just shook his head.

"I'll be back, reschedule with Gavin." He instructed and went up to Uther's office.

"Father," Arthur said as he walked in and Uther looked over at him from where he stood, gazing out the window.

"Arthur, I knew you would show up eventually." He stated and Arthur moved to stand next to him.

"You hit her." He said flatly, he was nearly shaking with rage and was barely managing to keep from beating the shit out of his father.

"I know, and I am sorry," he said, hanging his head regretfully.

"Why did you fire Leon?" Arthur asked and Uther looked over at his son.

"You know why."

"But you know Morgana and you have known Leon most of his life, you know they would not put the company at risk."

"If that were true, they would not have tried to hide their relationship from me."

"They hid it because they were afraid," Arthur said, he knew that fear all too well. What was happening to Morgana was what he feared most would happen should Uther discover his relationship with Merlin. "They feared you would not realize that they care about each other... that... that they love one another and just want to be together. They mean no harm to Camelot or to you."

"And what happens when they have a fight? What then if Leon makes a claim against her."

"Who cares?" Arthur shook his head, his father was odd man, he was aware of that, but sometimes there were just things he did that just didn't make any sense. "No one cares about people dating in the work place anymore father, times are different. Besides, it might even be good if the media found out. It would show that the people working here are just like anyone else." Uther shook his head.

"I may have acted too quickly," he said finally and Arthur felt himself relax. Finally, he had talked some sense into him. "Call Leon, I will speak with him and Morgana."

"I'll call him right away." Arthur stepped away and left.

"See Morgana, he just needed a moment to cool off. I'm sure he was more upset about the fact that you didn't feel you could talk to him about than he was that you two broke your contracts." Arthur assured but Morgana was not fooled. Uther had not changed his mind; he was simply trying to appease his son. Arthur was of course, not fooled to think that his father's reconsideration of Morgana and Leon's situation was in any way an indication of how he would react to finding out about Merlin. He may disapprove of inner work relationships, but he could not disapprove of Leon. Leon was 'of noble birth' in Uther's eyes, he came from a wealthy family and perhaps if Morgana really had gone to him when they first started dating, he would have been happy for them. Leon was a suitable husband for her, Uther had said so on several occasions to Arthur and Arthur didn't disagree. Merlin on the hand was a completely inappropriate choice. He was a man for starts which means he would not produce any kind of heir but he was also a nobody in Uther's eyes. He came from poverty, he was working class and not a suitable consort for any of Uther's children. No if Uther discovered Arthur's secret, Merlin would be lucky to get away without Uther finding some kind of way to legally punish him.

Morgana and Leon sat across from Uther's desk, stealing glances at each other while they shifted nervously. They had been sitting in silence for five minutes, no one had spoken and Uther had just sat there, staring at them with the disapproving scowl of a nun.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Six months," Leon answered for Morgana. It had started in June and they had been very careful to keep it secret but apparently, they had gotten sloppy lately.

"And you choose to continue this relationship despite knowing that it is against your contracts?"

"Yes," they both said and Uther nodded.

"Leon you have been a close friend of my son's for a very long time and you've proven yourself an exceptional lawyer. I see now that I acted impulsively and I apologize for that." He said and Leon smiled.

"It's alright sir, I can understand why you did what you did."

"Well, nevertheless, we are in a situation that requires a decision and since you have both made yours, I will make mine. Leon, there is a position at our office in Rome to head up a legal team and I seriously suggest you consider taking it. Morgana, you will leave at the end of the month for LA where you will work under Harry Lawson as his junior executive manager." Uther said firmly and both Leon and Morgana gaped at him. In a matter of seconds he had managed to promote both of them and send them to opposite ends of Earth at the same time.

"Uther," Morgana pressed.

"This is my final offer. Take the jobs or both of you will be fired immediately _without_ severance." He ordered and Morgana shrank back.

"I will never forgive you for this," she spat and Leon stood up.

"Come Morgana," he took her hand and pulled her up, "we're grateful, Uther, for your reconsideration and we will let you know by the end of the week." He said, leading Morgana out of the office.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Mordred refilled Morgana's glass with gin and watched her. She was staring blankly at the wall of his flat. She had told him everything that had happened at the office today and then what happened afterwards. Leon suggested that perhaps they should take the offer that Uther had made. When Morgana said she couldn't have a relationship with someone who was on the other side of the world, he said he couldn't lose his job for the sake of his feelings. Morgana sipped her drink mechanically. Leon had left, taking with him everything of his that had managed to move into her flat over the past six months and leaving her, heartbroken and feeling betrayed.

She felt numb now, having cried all her tears to Mordred. Numb and angry, she was outraged. She hated Uther, the very sight of him made her sick.

"Morgana," Mordred said gently, reaching out and resting his hand on her arm tenderly.

"Thank you Mordred," she said, her voice hollow and cold.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want," he said and she nodded absentmindedly. He was concerned about her and angry for her. Leon was a coward, he thought bitterly, and Uther, Uther was the monster that Mordred always thought he was. All these people, all these rich bastards who took advantage of everyone, who didn't care who they hurt, they were all heartless and cruel. He forced himself to remain quiet and collected but inwardly he was screaming. Morgana was his friend, the first real friend he had ever really had. People often thought of him weird, different they said, and so he had been cast as an outsider for his whole life. That weird, poor kid that everyone felt it was their right to pick on. He grew up surrounded by people like Uther and Arthur in one form or another and was surprised by Morgana's kindness. Not much surprised him, but she did. She genuinely cared about him and he suspected it was because despite being a Pendragon, she was still an outsider. She was the step-sister, the accidental child that Uther was stuck with. In that way, Mordred and Morgana were the same and they completely understood each other. It was for this reason that Morgana had been drawn to him in the first place and why Mordred liked her above everyone else at Camelot.

"Do... Do you know what you're going to do yet?" He asked after several more long minutes of silence. She looked over at him with a cold, blank expression.

"I'm going to go to LA, at least for a while," she said with a nod, "yes, I think I would very much like to get away from here." She drew in a deep breath and finished off her drink. "Your flat is rubbish Mordred," she pointed out. She was right of course, Mordred's flat was complete rubbish. It was basically just a room with a sink, a small fridge, a toilet, a tiny shower and a bed in it. It was less than a hotel room in reality. At least in a hotel, the bathroom was a separate room. Instead, Mordred had just made a makeshift room around it with dividers and curtains. Truth was though that it didn't really matter. He never had anyone come over and he spent as little time here as he could. He wondered at her strange timing though.  
>Morgana stood up and walked over to the little alter Mordred had set up under the small window. She touched the statues of the gods so gently, Mordred wondered if she was making a plea for their kindness.<p>

"What are these?" She asked and Mordred walked over to her.

"They are the gods," he answered, "of the Old Religion or Ancient Path of Druidism." He explained and lifted up the female statue. It was a simple statue made of stone that formed the shape of a woman standing with her arms held high above her head, holding a disk. "This is the Triple Goddess, the maiden, the Mother and the Crone. She is the night, the moon, creation and all life," he said and pointed to the spiral over her womb, "this is the spiral of life and represents the universe." He set her down and lifted up the male state. This was made of wood and formed a man holding a bow and arrow and on his head there were large antlers. "This is the god, he is the huntsman, the providers and the keeper of the woods. He is the father and cares for the mother, for the earth and all the creatures that live on Her. He wears the antlers to show that he is the balance between man and beast, accepting of the wild nature that is the beast and the tamed nature of man."

"They're beautiful," Morgana whispered, picking up the statue of the goddess again. Having grown up in England most her life, Morgana was familiar with most Pagan religions. She was surprised though, to find that Mordred followed any kind of religion. He always seemed too rational and logical for the fantasies of religion.

"Thank you," Mordred said with a small smile, "my father made them. He was a brilliant carver. He could make anything out of stone or wood."

"What happened to him?"

"He died," Mordred replied quietly, not wanting to dwell on the past.

"How?" Morgana asked bluntly and Mordred momentarily admired her once again for her bluntness.

"He was murdered," he said, looking over at her with his usual mask of indifference but he wondered if she could see through it.

"I am sorry Mordred; that is a terrible thing... to lose a parent." She touched his cheek gently and moved away from the altar. Mordred traced his fingers over the deities and whispered his usual parting before following Morgana back to his seat.

"Your mother?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She died when I was very young," she replied and poured herself another glass of gin. "Now let us not dwell on such dark memories, we have many things to discuss."

"Oh?" Mordred's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh yes, like when are you going to move into my flat?"

"Excuse me?"

"You cannot stay here Mordred, this place is grotty." She said with a bit of disgust and Mordred blushed. He couldn't really afford anything better.

"Well," he started and she silenced him with a wave of her hand. He realized then what she was doing. She needed a project to distract her, something that she could fix and make ok while she felt like she couldn't control her own life. Mordred closed his mouth, willing to let her do what she needed to do.

"I will be leaving in two weeks, I think you should move in by the end of this week that way I can show you around the flat. I need someone to take care of it while I'm gone, I don't know how long I will be and honestly, I don't care for having a stranger come in and care for it. Would you mind Mordred? Would you take care of it for me?" She asked, her voice cool and calm but Mordred saw the look of desperation in her eyes. She wasn't asking him to just take care of her flat, she was asking him to help take care of her. He smiled and took her hands in his.

"Of course I will Morgana."

o.O.o.O.o

Work was like it usually was for Merlin, except he could feel the underlying tension in the air. Everybody had heard about Leon and Morgana's break up, about how they were being sent in opposite directions of the world as punishment from Uther. In response to this, Merlin and Arthur kept their distance from each other both at work and outside of the office as well. They agreed that they needed to be sure to convince everyone that nothing was going on between them and they couldn't do that if they were spending every other night with each other. It was painful and Merlin missed Arthur's company a great deal but he understood the reason for it. A part of him wondered though what Arthur would do if Uther did find out. Would he do what Leon did? Would he abandon Merlin to save face with his father or would he stay by his side? He didn't know and he wasn't really sure if he wanted to know the answer at all.

Arthur had become miserable and sullen, skulking around the office like a Grinch and randomly lashing out at random people. Merlin tried to run interference but it was difficult to do that without blowing their cover. Merlin wondered when it had gotten so complicated. He would have told Arthur off in a heartbeat before, but now he was second guessing everything. Was he being obvious? Would someone notice the difference between them if they still bickered? He was becoming more and more anxious and found himself spending less time around Arthur on purpose. Instead he called up Will and spent a few nights with his old friend, laughing like they used to. Since Merlin was trying hard not to think about Arthur and how much he missed him, it was easy to spend time with Will again without the taboo subject coming up. It was still a bit awkward, but they at least managed to meet once a week.

Gwaine did end up getting the job as a financial analyst and he was immediately assimilated into the 'royal court'. It became apparent that there wasn't anything romantic going on between Percy and Gwaine when Percy showed up one night with an incredibly attractive model that was in town for a fashion show. Merlin had been slightly relieved to discover that his gay-dar was not malfunctioning at all, but he was also a little disappointed. Gwaine seemed to really fancy Percy but Merlin wasn't sure if anyone else noticed. He was difficult to read and didn't seem bothered at all by Percy's temporary girlfriend.

Morgana left for LA at the end of January and Leon went to Rome. Merlin understood that despite the fact that now that they were broken up, neither of them really needed to leave, he knew they both desperately wanted to. Mordred was living at Morgana's and Merlin thought it was a bit odd but didn't comment.

"Merlin," Mordred said from the door to Merlin's office, pulling him away from his thoughts.

"Hmm?" He looked up from the spot on the floor he had been analyzing and smiled at Mordred.

"You got plans tonight?" He asked, tilting his head a little and Merlin was slightly taken back by how adorable the movement was.

"No," he shook his head. This was true. Will was working late, he was working for a new law firm and was pulling more hours than Merlin (although Merlin didn't bother to point out how unfair Will had been about Merlin working so much). Lance, Percy, Gwaine and Arthur all had plans to go to the usual pub but Merlin had declined the invitation. He had been out with them the night before and wasn't entirely in the mood for more alcohol. He was actually looking forward to a quiet Friday night for a change.

"Want to come over?" He asked and Merlin raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Morgana's place is really quiet and," he shrugged, not needing to say anything more.

"Sure," Merlin smiled. He still hadn't figured out Mordred. He had been meaning to get to know him a bit more, especially now with Morgana gone he felt responsible for looking out for him. He had just been so distracted by everything with Arthur and the endless amount of work. Gavin had discovered some interesting book keeping with Misty Coast Collectibles and Antiques and Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine had been looking further into it. On top of what was beginning to feel like investigative reporting, Merlin had his usual tasks to take care of and even those were annoyingly blurry since he got promoted. He usually felt like he had no idea what he was doing and most days, he was just guessing. Needless to say, looking into Mordred had been moved to the back burner and Merlin knew that needed to change.

"Ok," Mordred grinned, "you about done for the day?"

"Yea," Merlin nodded and looked around at his desk and then at his watch. "Blimey, it's late," he said in surprise when he saw it was half seven.

"Yea," Mordred smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "even Arthur's left for the night."

"Really?" Merlin felt a twinge of hurt, he hadn't said goodbye or anything. He shrugged it off though and got up and stretched. He groaned with pleasure as his back cracked and he leaned far back, feeling his muscles gratefully relax. When he was finally done stretching, he caught Mordred's eyes as he was stealing a look at Merlin's body. Merlin blushed and pulled his shirt back down, it had ridden up his stomach a few inches. "So, what are we going to do tonight?" Merlin asked as he gathered up his things and noticed Mordred's face turn a deep crimson before he rolled away from the doorway.

"I don't know," he said from the hallway and Merlin walked out a few seconds later. "There's a football match on," he said with a shrug.

"A fan?"

"You're not?" Mordred asked with a smirk and Merlin grinned.

"It's alright." He shrugged, "and dinner? I'm completely famished."

"I'll cook," He grinned and Merlin looked over at him with surprise.

"It'll be nice to have someone cook for me for a change!" He joked.

"Don't have a nice man to cook you dinner?" Mordred teased and Merlin nearly tripped over his own shoes.

"No," he lied, although it wasn't really lying. Arthur could poison pigs with his food.

"Too bad. If you were mine, I would always cook for you." Mordred said and Merlin flushed at the way he said 'mine'.

"I'd consider myself very lucky in that case," Merlin managed to say back and they rode the rest of the way down in the elevator in slightly awkward silence. Although, Merlin thought that Mordred had a bit of a smug look on his face and he wasn't sure if it was because he thought Merlin was flirting back or if he somehow knew about Arthur. He eyed him suspiciously and made a mental note to be careful with his words for the rest of the night. The very thought exhausted him, he was already completely knackered from having to obsessively watch what he said at work.

They arrived at Morgana's flat twenty minutes later and Merlin was surprised to see how much had changed already. Gone was the eloquent feel of Morgana and in its place, there was a darker atmosphere that was almost sexual. It reminded Merlin of the way that vampires were often romanticized in books and tv, their layers always dark but charged with a kind of raw energy that made the audience's heart race. Merlin chuckled to himself, he thought it amusing that he was suddenly comparing Mordred to a vampire and thought it rather accurate. Mordred gave him a funny look as he took off his coat and kicked his shoes off.

"Make yourself at home," he said and tossed his jacket over the table that Morgana always kept meticulously clean. She kept her whole place clean in fact, so much so that it almost felt sterile and Merlin couldn't help but grin at the thought of her seeing it in its current state. Despite the fact that Mordred was clearly _trying_ to keep it clean, he was still a bachelor and a young man and the evidence was all over in the form of discarded clothing, abandoned mugs of tea and papers. Merlin pulled off his shoes and walked into the sitting area that was used as the main room for parties. When it wasn't decorated and emptied of all its daily furnishes, it was a rather cozy room. The fireplace roared with an inviting fire and above it was a TV that Merlin knew was usually hidden behind nearly invisible panels. He wondered briefly why rich people always seemed to want to hide their TVs. In front of the fireplace and TV was a fluffy white throw carpet with a sleek black coffee table and two large, soft leather chairs and a matching couch. The coffee table, which usually had an orderly stack of appropriate coffee table books, was now covered in bits of papers, books, pencils and a rubbish bin sat next to it. Merlin sat down and glanced at the papers. He picked up a few, intending to straighten them out when he noticed that they weren't work related and he caught a few lines of poetry.

_Eyes like fire  
>They are melted gold<br>Surrounded by sapphires_

Before he could read any more, the paper was snatched out of his hands by Mordred and Merlin turned beetroot red.

"Sorry," he said quickly and handed the rest of the papers to him.

"It's fine," Mordred said, the usual calm and slightly curious look on his face and Merlin couldn't tell if he was annoyed or not. "It's not finished, I don't like anyone to read anything before it's finished." He explained quickly.

"Oh, well it has a good start," Merlin smiled.

"Thanks, common. Let's see what I have in the kitchen and decide on what you feel like." He held out his hand to help Merlin up from the couch and Merlin bit his lip before taking it. He wasn't sure why, but he quickly pushed the thought away and grasped Mordred's hand as he pulled him up. There was something familiar about his grip and Mordred lingered just a little too long before letting go and walking away. Merlin followed after him, walking through the dining room and into the kitchen. Mordred stood silhouetted by the fridge light as he held the doors open and looked inside. Merlin's eyes quickly passed over the young man's backside and noticed that he was actually pretty muscular. He wondered why hadn't noticed before but then realized it was because Mordred always wore rather loose fitting shirts at work. He had changed, or at least, removed some of his clothing when Merlin had been in the living room and was now wearing loose fitting jeans and a white tank top. His bare arms rippled with muscles and Merlin noticed a rather large tattoo that seemed to spread across his back and poke out at the sides of the shirt and the top of the neckline. He couldn't tell what it was but he was strangely fascinated, like he was with most things about Mordred.

"What do you feel like?" Mordred asked, looking over his shoulder at Merlin.

"Um," Merlin shrugged and jumped up on the counter and sat down, "no idea. What do you have?"

"I took this out yesterday," he said pulling out a roast, "I was planning on making it but didn't have time last night. I know it would take a little while to cook but I can whip up some snacks while I get it ready." He suggested and Merlin smiled.

"Sounds fantastic," he said truthfully. "I haven't had a proper cooked meal in a while."

"That's because you spend far too much time at the office," Mordred said easily as he set the roast in the sink and began pulling out vegetables from the fridge and cupboards.

"Ah well," Merlin was about to say that someone had to keep an eye on Arthur but he felt it would probably be best to stay away from all things Arthur. Mordred was clever and he figured he'd read past Merlin's simple remarks, "what can I say, I love my job." He lamely said instead and Mordred laughed.

"Right," he grinned over at Merlin who couldn't help but laugh too.

"Well alright, I don't _love_ it."

"Hardly. Who would love a job where they work as hard as you do and get pretty much no credit for it?"

Merlin shrugged, "what about you? How are you enjoying life at Camelot?"

"It's interesting," Mordred said honestly as he began to peel potatoes. Merlin slipped off the counter and moved beside him. He grabbed a knife from the knife box and started cutting carrots. "What are you doing?"

"Helping," he replied and looked over at Mordred who rolled his eyes and held out his hand.

"Gimme," he said, gesturing with his chin to the knife. "I said _I_ would cook you dinner, which means that I do the chopping, peeling and cooking and you get to sit on the counter and look adorable."

Merlin gulped and handed him the knife. "K," was all he could manage as he handed the knife over and went back to his perch on the counter. Mordred didn't seem fazed by his comment at all and instead went back to cooking.

"You're Irish, right?" He said after awhile and Merlin nodded. "I lived in Ireland for a while," he said, rather nostalgically.

"Yea?"

"Yea, my father travelled a lot for his work and we ended up in Ireland for a couple years, moving around every few months."

"Really? What did your dad do that made him travel so much?" Merlin asked, stealing a carrot and munching on it.

"He was an anthropologist," Mordred explained rather fondly, "He studied religion in cultures, but was really interested in folklore and legends. We lived in a lot of smaller villages that were really old and full of history."

"That sounds interesting," Merlin really was interested. It was definitely very different than his life growing up.

"It was. We travelled all over Europe, even spent a couple years in Sudan and Ethiopia."

"Wow that must have been exciting."

Mordred shrugged, "it was alright but it had its disadvantages" he said rather soberly. Merlin chewed on his carrot for a minute while trying to decide if he should press him for more information or not.

"How so?" He asked, deciding he was far too curious about Mordred than to just let it go.

"Well, I was always the new kid in school, when I did get to go to public school. He home schooled me for a couple grades. He also had me go to an all boys Catholic school in Romania as a kind of study," he said with a laugh, "he was doing a paper on Catholicism and thought it would be 'refreshing' to get a young boy's view." Merlin laughed and shook his head.

"That must have been difficult."

"It was," Mordred nodded and began cutting the now peeled potatoes. "When he died, I was still enrolled at the school and the church also ran an orphanage so I ended up there for awhile."

"Oh," Merlin swallowed the last of his carrot, his mouth feeling too dry. "Sorry to hear that." Mordred shrugged and looked over at Merlin with that cool expression of his.

"It wasn't all bad," he lied and Merlin knew it was a lie.

"So when did you leave?" He asked, wanting to know more about the man in front of him.

"When I was eighteen I left Romania and came back to Britain. Called up a few of my dad's old contacts and stayed with them. They were part of this druid order we had spent a year with when I was child and I remembered I was pretty fond of them then. I spent a year with them and then went and did some travelling." He went on, not sure why he was opening up to Merlin so much.

"Sounds like you've lived an interesting life Mordred," Merlin said, openly staring at him and Mordred glanced over at him. He opened his mouth to say something but let out a quick yelp instead.

"_Futui_!" Mordred swore loudly as he dropped the knife and grabbed his finger. Blood was pouring down his hand and he looked at the wound, feeling faint.

"Shit," Merlin jumped down and grabbed Mordred's hand. The cut was really deep and looked like it needed a couple stitches, "we should go to hospital."

"No," Mordred said quickly and shook his head, "it's just a little cut. I just need a band aid." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"It's more than a little cut!"

"I don't want to go to hospital for something so stupid," Mordred complained and Merlin sighed. He grabbed the dish cloth and quickly wrapped it over his hand.

"Fine, hold this tight." He instructed and began going through cupboards.

"What are you looking for?" Mordred asked, watching Merlin with confusion.

"Morgana's herb cupboard."

"Over there," Mordred pointed to the pantry and Merlin opened it up. He sighed with relief as he saw the large stalk of herbs. He quickly rummaged through them.

"Thank the gods," he mumbled when he found what he was looking for. He pulled the lid off the jaw and pulled Mordred's hand to him. He pulled off the cloth and held his hand over the sink. "This is going to hurt a little," he said and turned the water on. He rinsed it off, Mordred managed to not wince and when it was well rinsed (though still bleeding profusely) Merlin dumped some of the herb into his own hand. He rubbed it a little and then gently placed it over the cut, packing it on heavily.

"What is that?" Mordred asked, watching Merlin with interest.

"Yarrow," he said quietly and paused at his work, "I'm surprised Morgana even had any."

"Why is it on my finger?" Mordred asked and Merlin laughed at his tone.

"It's used to clot blood," he explained and looked at the wound. The yellow flowers had absorbed the blood and already the bleeding had slowed. "See, it's already working." Mordred looked down at his butchered finger with surprise.

"How did you know that would work?"

"My mom was really interested in medicinal medicines," he explained and started washing his hands. "Where does Morgana keep her first aid supplies?"

"The master bathroom," Mordred said and Merlin told him to lead the way. Merlin instructed Mordred to sit on the toilet while he pulled out the first aid kit.

"How did you know Morgana had any?"

"I didn't, I just guessed. Yarrow's used in teas sometimes and I know Morgana is a big tea drinker and likes to make her own. She also has problems sleeping and yarrow is used in a lot of sleeping teas. Lucky guess," Merlin shrugged and gently took Mordred's hand in his again.

"Thank you," Mordred said gently and watched Merlin carefully tend to the wound.

"It's nothing," he replied quickly. "Clearly I _should_ have helped with dinner," he teased and Mordred grinned.

"Nah, you're just too distracting." He said and Merlin looked up and felt himself momentarily get lost in those oh so deep blue eyes of his. Mordred licked his lips and Merlin swallowed hard.

"Done," he whispered. Mordred continued to hold his gaze and Merlin felt his heart start racing. He finally managed to break the trance Mordred held him in and looked away. Nervously, he cleaned up the first aid supplies.

"Merlin," Mordred said his voice gravelly and it made Merlin freeze in his movements. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting like this?

"Yea?" He asked, mentally kicking himself and grinning his stupid grin as he looked back at Mordred.

"Are you seeing anyone?"

AN: I apologize for some of the inaccuracies in regards to the modern Druid faith. I just wanted to tie in the Druid beliefs from the show combined with the Old Religion. I hope no one takes any offense!

What does everyone think of Mordred so far? Please review-I like to know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions, please make them!


	22. Chapter 21

sorry for the short chapter! I really wasn't planning any of this! The characters just ran off with this and I'm not so sure where it's headed! Lol guess I'll just have to keep writing! But it's late and I need to go to bed, so posting this short chapter and will post more tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Twenty One

How was it that Merlin always seemed to see right through him? Mordred had been wondering all night. There was something so enchanting about him and it was making Mordred crazy. He hadn't meant to flirt with him so much, he just couldn't help himself. Merlin was so incredibly sexy and alluring that the words were coming out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Emrys?" He whispered and stood up, only inches from Merlin now. Merlin wasn't looking at him anymore, ever since he had asked the question Merlin had turned an odd shade of white and green and hadn't said a word. He wondered if he had heard him.

"Mordred," he barely heard Merlin's voice and the way he said Mordred's name made his whole body ache. He reached out and gently ran his fingers over Merlin's arm. He saw the other man shiver and the gooseflesh that his touch created but Merlin moved away.

"You can't," he said and finally looked up at him, a strange tortured look in his eyes that made Mordred take a step back. "Look at what just happened to Morgana and Leon," he whispered and Mordred shook his head.

"We're not them," he said and licked his lips, regaining the step he had lost moments before. Merlin stepped back so that he was against the shower wall.

"Mordred," he laughed and looked away. Mordred followed his eyes, not willing to let him look away. He wanted Merlin to see him; no one ever seemed to really see him except Emrys. He closed the distance between them so that their chests were only inches away and he tilted Merlin's chin to him.

"Emrys," he purred and Merlin whimpered just as Mordred pressed his lips to his. It wasn't a mad, lustful kiss but a deep, soft one that made both men moan. Mordred tasted Merlin's lips, opening them gently with his tongue and slowly exploring his mouth. He pulled him to him, his one hand sliding to the back of his neck and the other around his waist. Merlin's body was like butter in his hands, melting against him. He didn't push away but he also didn't embrace him, he simply let Mordred wrap him up in his arms and mouth. God he tasted and felt so god. Mordred finally broke away, reluctantly, but he needed air. He gasped when he finally managed to pull away and pressed his forehead against Merlin's.

"No," Merlin shook his head, his eyes were squeezed shut and Mordred could feel him trembling.

"What?" He pleaded, pulling away enough and cupping Merlin's face in his hand, "what is it Emrys?"

"I can't, I can't do this," Merlin said, finally opening his eyes and pushing Mordred away. Before Mordred could say anything, Merlin ran from the bedroom. He stood rooted to the floor for several seconds before he gave chase.

"Merlin!" He called out and ran downstairs. Merlin was stumbling into his shoes and pulling his jacket back on.

"Don't Mordred," he said angrily and wrenched the door open, "just... don't." And he slammed the door behind him, leaving Mordred standing in the entrance, panting and staring at the door.

_Merlin_ his name burned in Mordred's mind and clenched his jaw tightly. What had he done wrong? Was he really with Arthur? If he really was with Arthur, why had he let him kiss him in the first place?

o.O.o.O.o

_Shit, shit, shit SHIT!_ Merlin thought, his mind racing.

"FUCK!" He screamed out into the dark street as he stomped away from Morgana's. What the fuck happened? He asked himself, what the hell was wrong with him!? He was so angry with himself, his entire body was shaking. He needed to calm down but he couldn't, this was not ok, this was so not ok.

"Shit!" He yelled again, ignoring the looks the other pedestrians gave him. He pulled out his phone and started to call Arthur. He changed his mind at the last second and called Lance instead.

"Merlin!" Merlin could hear the grin in Lance's voice as he picked up. He growled in response.

"I need you," he managed to get out.

"Just a second," Lance said and Merlin could hear him pushed passed people and then the sudden silence as Lance found a secluded place to talk. "What's wrong Merlin? What happened?" He asked, his own voice rising with panic in response to Merlin's.

"Mordred kissed me!"

"I know mate, everyone saw it at the party-"

"No, he _just_ kissed me now, at his flat." Merlin interrupted.

"Wait what? Why were you at his flat? I thought you said you were staying in tonight?" Lance asked and Merlin felt his stomach roll with guilt. Oh god, he thought, how could he possibly tell Arthur if even telling Lance was this painful?

"I... he asked me over to watch the match and I've been meaning to hang out with him since Morgana left-"

"Why?" It was Lance's turn to interrupt. He had taken a dislike to Mordred ever since the party. "No wait, don't answer that. Where are you? I'll come get you."

"I'm uh," he paused looking around for some indication as to where he was. He hadn't been paying attention; he had just been trying to get away. "I'm a few blocks for her building, not far from the pub."

"Don't come here, Arthur will know something's up." Lance quickly said and Merlin shook his head despite knowing Lance couldn't see him.

"I have to tell him Lance, I can't not tell him."

"Just catch a cab and meet me at my flat alright?" He ordered.

"Lance-"

"Merlin just do what I tell you for once!" Lance nearly yelled and Merlin sighed.

"Fine, I'll see you in a few."

o.O.o.O.o

Lance shoved his phone in his pocket and ran a hand through his hair. Shit, Merlin had really buggered up. He pushed his way back into the crowded pub and made his way back to their booth.

"Who was that?" Arthur asked and Lance grabbed his jacket.

"Friend emergency," Lance said, ignoring Arthur's question. He wasn't interested in lying to him if he could avoid it.

"What friend? All your friends are right here," Percy teased and Lance managed a weak smile.

"Hardly," he joked back, "I gotta go. I'll call you, ya?" He tossed a couple bills on the table before turning and walking away. He could feel Arthur's stare boring into his back but he refused to look back.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin paced outside of Lance's house, chewing his nails anxiously. When Lance got out of the cab he held up his hand to silence Merlin before he could even speak. He unlocked his house and went inside and immediately went to the kitchen where he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured two shots. He quickly pounded back one and slammed it on the counter, making Merlin jump. He was so angry, Merlin was terrified what Arthur would be like.

"Tell me exactly what the fuck happened." Lance ordered and pushed the other glass towards Merlin. Merlin nodded and pulled off his jacket and kicked back the shot. He closed his eyes as the burning sensation, trying to block out the heat of Mordred's kiss.

"I don't know-"

"How about you start with how you ended up alone at Mordred's flat first?" Lance asked harshly and Merlin glared at him.

"Don't talk to me like that," he spat and Lance raised his eyebrows. "Shit, I called you because I thought you wouldn't freak out on me but fuck, I'm starting to regret that now..." Lance sighed heavily and poured them another shot each.

"Look Merlin, I don't like the little bastard one bit," Lance said firmly before drinking the next shot, "and Arthur is my best friend. I knew him before I knew you and in my books that means that no matter how tight we are, my loyalty is to him." Merlin gulped at his words.

"I, I'm sorry," he stammered, tears springing to his eyes.

"I'm sorry for being angry; I just don't understand why you would put yourself in a situation like this after what happened at the party." He said more gently and Merlin chewed his lip. He fought back the tears, angrily brushing away the few that escaped.

"I was at work and Mordred came into my office, he asked me if I wanted to come over. I wasn't planning on going out tonight but, but I feel like he needs someone now that Morgana's gone. I mean, he's the outsider right? He's in the same place that I was when I first got to Camelot and I remember how out of place I felt. I figured what happened at the party was just because he was drunk or something, I didn't... I didn't think he really meant anything by it." Merlin said, although the words didn't feel quite right, they felt almost like a lie. Some part of him did know that Mordred liked him but he hadn't cared. Why hadn't he cared?

"Ok, and then?" Lance pressed and Merlin drank the drink in front of him.

"We went back to Morgana's to watch the match and make dinner. We were in the kitchen, talking and then Mordred cut his hand. I was bandaging it up and he asked me if I was seeing anyone." Merlin was skipping over a lot, but he felt guilty for the part he had played, "and when I didn't answer... I... I think he misunderstood that as a no... and I couldn't exactly say yes because he'd want to know who and I couldn't tell him it was Arthur so I just pointed out what had happened with Morgana and Leon hoping that he'd get the hint that anything he felt towards me wasn't a good idea."

"Apparently he didn't."

"Yea well," Merlin sighed, "and then he kissed me."

"He just kissed you?" Lance asked, staring at him in disbelief.

"Yea," Merlin flushed and poured himself another shot.

"And you punched him and told him to bugger off right?"

When Merlin didn't say anything or look up, Lance groaned loudly.

"Merlin!"

"I, I was surprised ok! And," he didn't know what else to say.

"And you liked it." Lance finished for him and Merlin finally looked up.

"Lance," he chocked out and Lance sighed and poured him another drink.

"You've really fucked this up Merlin."

"I know," he drank back the whiskey. So much for a Friday night without alcohol.

Let me know what you think of what happened between Merlin and Mordred!


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

Merlin woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. The events of the night before eventually came back to him as he woke up and realized he was once again, sleeping on Lance's couch. He groaned as his gut twisted anxiously in addition to the pounding in his temples.

He said goodbye to Lance and thanked him for his help last night and took a cab home. He had no idea what to do about Mordred, no fucking clue. Thinking about it only made his head hurt more and his stomach roll angrily with guilt. He pushed open his front door and threw his keys across the room in annoyance.

"Oi!" Arthur quickly dodged the assault of keys.

"Shit!" Merlin nearly pissed himself at seeing Arthur standing in his living room. How the hell did he get in here anyway? He didn't remember giving him a key, not that he wasn't happy to see him but still. Creepy.

"Geez, _Mer_lin, you scream like a girl," Arthur teased but his smile faltered a little with the look Merlin gave him. "Where were you anyway? I came by after the pub and fell asleep on the couch, you go out all night?" He asked innocently but Merlin tripped over his shoes at his questions. Arthur quickly caught him, years of tennis had made his reflexes exceptionally sharp. "Morning," he said with a chuckle and helped Merlin up. He pushed the dark hair out of his eyes and paused as he saw the tired, tortured look in Merlin's eyes. "What's wrong Merlin?"

"Nothing," he lied and quickly looked away and moved out of his arms.

"Are you angry with me?" Arthur asked suddenly when Merlin seemed to recoil from his touch.

"No," he said quickly and pulled off his jacket, "just tired."

"Where'd you go?"

"I was at Lance's," he explained and Arthur arched his perfect brow.

"So you're the friend with the emergency," he said and Merlin looked at him confused, "what happened? Why didn't you call me?"

"You were with your friends," Merlin threw his scarf on the floor and kicked off his shoes. He wasn't meaning to be short with Arthur, but he was exhausted and the guilt was turning around into annoyance and making him miserable.

"Yea, so was Lance. What happened?" Arthur repeated and Merlin sighed heavily.

"I don't want to talk about it. Where's the paracetamol?" He asked, going to the kitchen to fetch himself some water and to rummage in the cupboards for drugs. Arthur folded his arms across his chest, taking up his usual defensive stance whenever he was annoyed or angry. He watched Merlin move noisily about the kitchen, slamming cupboards and the fridge door so hard it rebounded which only made Merlin more annoyed and he kicked it shut.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He finally asked after watching the epic display Merlin was putting on.

"What?" Merlin glowered over at him, "I'm in shoddy mood that's all," he said honestly.

"I can see that but _again_, I repeat, _what happened?_"

"Arg! Just sod off with the questions alright?" He snapped and Arthur finally lost it.

"Fine!" He yelled back and snatched his jacket and stormed out of the flat, slamming the door loudly and making Merlin flinch.

Merlin leaned over the counter and proceeded to bang his head on the counter.

"Fuck. My. Life." He said, smacking his head with each word.

"Well, that went well." Will said from the bedroom doorway and Merlin jumped up and hit his head on the cupboards above him.

"Arg fuck," he moaned and rubbed the bump that was already forming, "Will!"

"Yup, that's me, Will I am," he smirked and Merlin smiled in spite of himself.

"What are you doing here?"

"Apparently, I had the same idea as Arthur... well, maybe not the exact same idea," He said quickly, "but got off work late, Becca was out with her girlfriends and I thought I'd come check in on my best mate. Instead I found that bloke sleeping outside the door and brought him in. Both decided to wait for you." Will explained and Merlin leaned over the counter.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he mumbled and closed his eyes.

"Bad night?" He asked and Merlin wondered at Will's sudden friendliness. The fact that he even let Arthur into the apartment was mad enough but to have waited around for Merlin all night with him just made everything worse.

"Horrible," Merlin managed to get out before slumping down onto the kitchen floor. Will watched him silently for a few minutes before coming to sit next to him, leaning against the cupboards.

"Tell me about it," he said and Merlin smiled at the sincerity in his voice.

"I fucked up big time." Merlin explained everything that happened and managed to be completely honest with Will about everything, even admitting his morbid curiosity about Mordred.

"You have to tell him mate," Will said after Merlin finished and Merlin looked over at with a stricken look.

"I know but... bloody hell, how do I do that?" He shook his head, "he's going to be so pissed off."

"It's not like you slept with the guy, it was just a kiss."

"Just a kiss when I haven't kissed Arthur in three days, when we haven't even spent the night together for a week and spend every moment of every day pretending that we don't have feelings for each other." Merlin said with a heavy sigh, "it's more complicated than just a kiss."

"Right," Will nodded. He didn't like the fact that Merlin cared for Arthur one bit, but this Mordred person sounded like all kinds of trouble and an even worse option. He figured if he had to pick the lesser evil...

"Thank you though, for listening," Merlin looked over at his lifelong friend and smiled.

"Yea, well I figured I owed you one." Will shoved his shoulder and smiled.

"I'd say," Merlin laughed and finally managed to stand up.

"How about you call me after you talk to the prince ya?"

"Yea," Merlin nodded and hugged Will. After Will left, he hurriedly showered, fed Kilgharrah and called Arthur.

"What?" He answered angrily on the third attempt.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said gently. He could picture Arthur chewing over his thoughts, trying to decide if he was more angry with Merlin or worried.

"You should be," he said finally and Merlin smiled.

"I am," he locked up the flat, "can I come over?"

"No," Arthur replied too quickly and Merlin froze.

"Um," he wasn't sure what to do and then he heard Arthur laughing... laughing in the stairwell. He grinned and hung up the phone and poked his head around the corner.

"You should have seen the look on your face," Arthur laughed and Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Prat."

"Idiot"

"Clotpole"

"Dollophead"

Merlin grinned and happily melted into Arthur as he kissed him for the first time in days. He could feel the built up heat as Arthur's mouth eagerly moved with his and he moaned. He wanted to give into it so badly but he had to talk to him first.

"Arthur," Merlin breathed as he pulled away and Arthur opened his eyes to give him a lazy smile.

"Yes _Mer_lin?"

"I need to talk to you," he gulped and pulled Arthur inside.

For the third time, Merlin recounted the events of the previous night, his voice shaking with nerves as he talked, twisting his hands anxiously in his lap. He had told Arthur from the beginning that he wanted to get to know Mordred so at first; Arthur wasn't sure why Merlin was worked up over having gone over to spend time with him. However, it became very clear that Mordred's motives weren't entirely as honorable as Merlin's and he had started pacing as Merlin continued to talk. When he had finally told him everything, concluding with explaining why he had behaved so horrible earlier, Merlin couldn't look at Arthur, he was so terrified of what he would do. Would he yell? Would he ditch him? When the silence became too unbearable, Merlin finally looked up to see Arthur smiling at him.

"What?" He felt a bit of panic, what was he smiling about? Why on earth was he smiling?

"Merlin, the fact that you're telling me almost right after Mordred kissed you tells me that I don't need to worry." He said with a lazy grin and sat on the coffee table in front of Merlin.

"Huh?" Merlin blinked, he couldn't possibly have heard Arthur right.

"I'm mean, yea, I'm pissed and jealous but not at you. I'm pissed off at the little twat for making a move on my guy. I'm not mad at you for... for a moment of weakness. Merlin, if it had meant something to you, anything at all, you wouldn't have told me. You would have tried to hide it. I know that I can trust you." He held Merlin's hands in his own, gently rubbing his thumbs over his palms to try and sooth the other's anxiety.

"Arthur," Merlin didn't know what to say. Out of all the scenarios he had pictured, this was not even a remote possibility. He had been sure he would have at least yelled, even stormed off and at worst, broken up with him. To have him sitting there in front of him, holding his hands and looking at him so lovingly made Merlin love him all the more. "I can't believe you're not... I don't know, throwing shit at me." Arthur laughed and kissed him sweetly.

"Merlin, I love you-" the words had come out before Arthur could stop them. They just fell out of his mouth, rolling off his tongue as if he had meant to say them. He had said it so casually, so effortlessly, it had been so easy and yet he was now left staring at Merlin in panic. Merlin looked equally panicked by the words, his eyes wide as he sat, frozen still.

"I love you too," he finally breathed and broke into that stupid, goofy grin that made Arthur want to both smack him and crush his lips under his own. He went with the latter and pulled Merlin into his lap, his lips crushing into Merlin's.

o.O.o.O.o

The weekend was bliss, as far as Merlin was concerned. He and Arthur barely left the bed and on the few occasions they did, they often ended up rolling around on the counter, the floor, or the couch or in the shower. Merlin had called Will after making up with Arthur... a couple times and managed to send Lance a text telling him everything was ok. Lance was openly happy to hear that they'd worked things out but Merlin could tell Will wasn't as pleased. He wondered if he had secretly (or maybe not so secretly) hoped that this would be the end of their relationship.

Merlin successfully pushed away all thoughts of Mordred for the entire weekend. He busied himself with Arthur, cleaning up his flat and work. Although very little work got done and they just ended up making another mess anyway so he really kept himself pleasantly distracted by Arthur. He was a handsome distraction though and Merlin wasn't about to complain in the slightest.

He did complain though, when Arthur insisted that he had to go back to his place Sunday night. Merlin hated the rouse they had to keep up, especially now that they had been so honest with each other about how they felt. But it was necessary, if they wanted to keep their jobs. After Arthur left, Merlin sat down on the couch and yawned. He was so tired and he could have fallen asleep right there if it hadn't been for his phone suddenly ringing loudly on the table as a text came in. Merlin sighed and leaned forward, grabbing the phone awkwardly and checking his messages. The text was from Mordred. Merlin's heart did funny kind of flutter in his chest as he stared at the message, not sure if he should open it or not. He chewed his lip nervously and then decided to face the music. He would have to see Mordred tomorrow anyway, so he had better get this over with. Warily, he opened the text message.

_Merlin, I wasn't sure if I should send you this now or wait and speak with you tomorrow at the office but I decided it would probably be best to say this where no one could overhear or cause any problems for either of us. I'm sorry for the way that I acted the other night and I hope that you can forgive me. I understand that I acted not only unprofessionally but inappropriately as your friend. I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable; I hope that this will not change our work relationship. –Mordred_

Merlin stared at the message and he wasn't sure how he honestly felt about it. He decided he would be as honest with him as he could be.

_Mordred, thanks for your message. I'd rather we talk now before we see each other tomorrow also. I'm not mad at you about the other night, more angry with myself. When you asked if I was seeing anyone, I hesitated but the truth is I am seeing someone. I won't say who as that part of my private life I would like to keep private from work but the point is that I blame myself more than I blame you. Don't worry, nothing will change at work –M_ he hit send and smiled. He quickly sent Arthur a text to let him know what Mordred had said and what he had replied with. He wanted to make sure Arthur was informed on everything; he didn't want to keep secrets from him.

_I will be honest with you. I like you Emyrs, and I think that you feel something for me too. But I respect your current relationship and should anything change with that, you know where to find me._

Merlin didn't reply to Mordred's last text. He stared at it in slight horror and quickly closed it.

The next day at work was torture. Mordred was his usual self, if not a little bit colder than normal but Merlin was a complete idiot. He blushed almost every time he looked at Mordred or caught Mordred looking at him. It didn't help that all he wanted to do was grab Arthur's hand during the staff meeting and he couldn't take his eyes off Arthur's lips. Those soft, pink lips that had kissed him so heatedly only the night before, lips that had whispered _I love you_ over and over. Merlin was a good actor, or at least he liked to think he was (he had done some drama in high school and a little at college) and he considered himself excellent at keeping secrets. However, all of this was almost beyond his ability to cope with and he found himself retreating to Gaius' office often but eventually, he couldn't handle with Gaius' constant questioning the boy's sudden appearance in his office. Lance's office became the only safe refuge where he could lay on the couch and cover his face with a pillow and scream out his frustration.

He found himself doing this more often over the next few weeks and following months. Things between Arthur and Merlin were rapidly progressing, so much so that Merlin had practically moved in with him. Even Kilgharrah was living in Arthur's flat and Merlin's flat was basically empty save for a few items that he rarely used and the furniture. They eventually did manage to find a balance at work and over time, it grew easier to not linger over Arthur's body when he walked away or to not blush whenever Arthur would sneak a quick wink. Eventually, it was almost as if they weren't in a relationship at all when at work, nothing more than that what they had always been.  
>Mordred was a slightly different story. Whatever existed between Merlin and Mordred, he had long stopped denying that there was indeed a very, very strong sexual energy between the two but Merlin managed to ignore it. Most days. And most days, Mordred respected Merlin's need for professionalism between them, any possibility of friendship long abandoned by both men and so they stuck with the very precarious balance they managed. It didn't mean though that every time Mordred said <em>Emyrs<em> that special way of his, his strange accent from all his travels making his last name sound so much sexier somehow, that Merlin's stomach didn't flip and he would usually become exceptionally klutzy in that moment. Mordred kept his distance most days, but sometimes when they had ended up spending a majority of the day together for whatever reason, he would teeter on that edge he seemed so fond of and Merlin would catch his eyes drifting from Merlin's to his mouth as his talked. Or to his hands (Merlin tended to gesture a lot, especially when excited) or he would just look him in the eyes like he was devouring Merlin's soul with just one look. It was those looks that usually ended with spilled coffee, a dropped folder or a broken glass and Mordred would always smirk, as he if he knew the effect he had on Merlin. In some ways, it became their thing, just as it was Arthur and Merlin's thing to yell at each other from their offices, calling each other the most ludicrous names (clotpole was a dear favorite of Merlin's).  
>It was really Arthur who had the hardest time of the three of them, though he didn't let either of them see it. Ever since New Years, Arthur had kept a vigilant eye on the Druid. It nearly killed him every day that he had to pretend to ignore Mordred's longing gazes at Merlin. He watched him over the next few months and he felt sick to his stomach more and more as it was becoming very obvious to him, although apparently Merlin really was an idiot, because Mordred was falling for Merlin, hard. It might not have been that obvious, Arthur reconsidered, after all, Mordred seemed to always wear a mask of indifference and cool detachment. However, there were these brief moments where the mask would slip and Arthur would catch the way he looked at Merlin, they way he would touch his arm as they laughed or just the way that he would call him Emyrs. Arthur had to physically restrain himself from twitching... or from strangling the twat right there in the office. He found a good use for his frustration though and on days where it was particularly bad, he would devour Merlin when they got him. He would shove him into the apartment and take him with such intensity that neither would be able to speak or move for a good hour afterwards. He had also become very, very fond of marking Merlin as his own and would leave dark love bits all over his neck, sometimes even on his jaw (and Merlin would always try to cover it the next day by not shaving and let his black stubble grow in, which only made the mark even more visible but Arthur never mentioned it). There had been times when he had wanted to completely consume Merlin so strongly that he had left bruises on his wrists from where he had pinned him. Merlin never complained though and he eventually caught onto the source of Arthur's random fancies for borderline SM sex and Merlin would find himself goading Mordred to flirt with him just so he could feel Arthur's teeth scrape against him later as he would bite at his flesh.

How the entire office wasn't aware of the nearly palpable sexual tension that was Mordred, Merlin and Arthur, Merlin couldn't understand. It amazed him even more that Uther didn't catch on. Over the last five months, Uther had really started to groom Arthur to take over, giving him more and more responsibility. Merlin in turn was beginning to take over more and more for Arthur and of course, Mordred was right in the middle of it all so the four of them spent a great deal of time together. By June, Uther hardly even came into work anymore and Arthur had practically moved into his office as he found it a more central location for his new responsibilities.

It was a Tuesday morning and Merlin was just heading into the office early to catch up on some reading before a meeting when he walked right into the lean figure of Morgana. He stared at her; she always towered over him despite the fact that he was six feet tall. She was 5'11 and without fail, always wore at least a four inch heel. Merlin gaped at her in surprise, she looked so different and it took a moment for him to find the words he was looking for.

"Morgana!" He finally managed after a too long of a silence.

"Merlin," she smiled but immediately, Merlin could feel the difference. She was not just darker in appearance, but also in soul Merlin thought. She was not tanned in the slightest; her skin was far too British and remained porcelain white, although Merlin noted that she actually looked paler than when she left. He suspected it was because she spent most time in doors, hiding from the sun like a wraith. He shook his head at the sudden comparison and grinned his familiar grin.

"You're back!" He exclaimed happily and pulled her into the elevator with him. He noted that her hair had taken on a slightly wild look. She was so different than when she had left only five months before. Normally Morgana was the very definition of grace and she had that kind of classic beauty that always made Merlin feel like he was talking to royalty. She was known for her smart outfits, always managing to wear the latest business fashion for women and make it look sexy but in a powerfully feminine way that he had respected. Now though, she wore a short black dress that hugged her curves in a way that left nothing to the imagination and even Merlin found himself looking her over more than once. The dress was incredibly short, especially for Morgana, it cut off just above mid-thigh and her long milky legs were completely bare until the black strappy heels that laced their way up her ankles. Her usually straight and tamed hair was longer than he had ever seen it, it must have reached her arse but it was up in such a way that Merlin couldn't really tell. She had stopped ironing it and allowed her natural wavy curls to cascade down her bare shoulders and back, giving her a slightly wild Amazonian look. Where she had normally worn earth toned makeup, her eyes were now lined in black with dark shadows on the lids and her lipstick was a rich blood red.

"Put your eyes back in your head Merlin," she snapped, noticing him gawking at her, "I thought you were gay." She pointed out and Merlin flushed.

"I am," he said quickly and looked away, "just, blimey you've gone American." He said with a grin and he could have sworn she sneered at him.

"Don't worry Merlin, I am not going back to that god forsaken hole of a country." She spat angrily and he looked at her in surprise.

"You're coming back then?" She rolled her eyes and Merlin couldn't help but feel slightly insulted by this new, cold and rather rude Morgana.

"Yes, Merlin, I am coming back. I am not about to let my dear brother take over a company that I partly own." She said and pushed her way past Merlin as the elevator doors opened. He stood there, watching her walk away in a mixture of shock, horror and fascination. What the hell had happened to Morgana Pendragon?

Dun dun dun! Finally managed to figure things out with the characters! Although I can't keep writing with the tension between Merlin and Mordred, so I'm going to do a one shot on the side. Look out for it, should be posted by the end of the day and hopefully will be extra, extra steamy!


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

"Morgana," Arthur said, truly surprised as his sister strolled into his office although he wasn't entire sure it was his sister. The woman in front of him only resembled his sister vaguely and he had to blink several times to really believe it was her.

"Brother," she hissed and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, confused by the sudden anger in her voice.

"I didn't realize you were coming for a visit," he managed to stammer out.

"I am not here for a visit, dear brother, I have come back." She said simply and Arthur tried to keep himself from looking like a complete idiot by giving his head a good shake.

"You are?" He asked and remembered to smile, "that's great! I've missed having you around and the marketing department has just not been the same," he rambled and she nodded.

"Good, where is father?" She asked, looking around the office and Arthur realized that she might not be completely up to date on all the things that had been happening recently.

"He is not in today," he said and shifted nervously, "he's actually taken a step back." Morgana's thin eyebrows started to rise at his words.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I'm sure you could call him though, I imagine he would be happy to see you." He said quickly and she let out a bitter laugh.

"Yes, I'm sure he will be." With that, she turned on her heel and left. Arthur stood in his office staring after here, completely unsure of what to make of what just happened.

"Arthur?" There was a soft knock on the door and he blinked, Merlin was standing in the frame with a worried look on his face.

"Merlin," Arthur nodded, happy to see the other's face.

"So... Morgana," Merlin said as he walked in and Arthur nodded, drawing in a deep breath.

"Morgana... She's a bit different hmm?" He smiled and Merlin pursed his lips.

"Very," he agreed, "freakishly so."

Morgana walked directly to her office, smiling at everyone as she went. She hugged old friends and told them how happy she was to be back, they all said they had missed her and it wasn't the same without her. When she finally did get to her office, she closed the door quickly and leaned against it. She did not expect it to be this hard. Rage and hatred boiled beneath the surface and she fought to control it. She hated them, she hated all of them. They were nothing more than puppets in Uther's games. Well, she thought with a wicked smile, she would just have to use them to her benefit now. She called Uther to let him know she was back early.

"Morgana, I am so happy that you've come home!" He said over the phone. She was glad she did not have to have this conversation with him in person; she did not think she could keep the sneer that his words caused.

"I am too," she replied, looking at her nails. Hmm she would need to get them done again soon.

"Why don't we have dinner tonight?" He suddenly asked.

"Not tonight, Father, sorry. I would like to stay late tonight. There's just so much that I need to catch up on." She said, feigning sincerity.

"Of course, of course!" He said quickly, "I am so proud to have two children who work so hard."

Her lip twitched in anger, "well, we both have so much to live up to." Her voice was smooth as she pat his ego. He chuckled and the sound was like nails on a chalk board.

"I suppose you do. Well tomorrow then, we will have a family dinner at The Garden." He suggested.

"Sounds delightful," she inwardly sighed, "but I must go. I need to get to work."

"Yes, I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," she hung up before she could hear him respond.

Sighing she leaned back in her chair and pulled the USB stick from her purse. This would be her justice, her revenge. She grinned as she moved it between her fingers. She would destroy Uther; she would take everything from her just as he had all her life.

o.O.o.O.o

Arthur invited Morgana and the guys all out for lunch that day. Everyone was glad to have their favorite Marketing Executive back and eager to hear about LA. As they sat at their booth and talked, everyone made sure to stay away from mentioning Leon. Of course, they'd stayed in touch and he'd visited in the past six months but they did not tell Morgana any of it.

She smiled that dazzling smile of hers, laughing and enjoying, as always, being the center of attention. Gwaine immediately flirted, flattering her about her new look and she laughed well naturedly. Everyone was relieved to have the same old Morgana back, everyone except Merlin.

Of course he said nothing and he smiled at her tails but he could not shake the feeling that something was very, very different about her. He couldn't place his finger on it exactly, but there was something off about the way she smiled and he didn't think it was a good thing. A couple of times, he could have sworn he saw her sneer at Arthur when she thought no one was looking. He tried to shake off the feeling, telling himself he was reading into things but when they all parted ways to their various offices, he was still full of doubt.

"Mordred my love," Morgana clasped his hand as he started to follow Merlin. He needed to attend a meeting they had in a few minutes.

"Yes?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Come to my office, I've missed you. Let's talk for a few minutes." She said as she pulled him to her office.

"I actually have a meeting-"

"Oh I'm sure they can manage without you for a few minutes." She insisted and Mordred shrugged.

When they reached her office, she pulled him into an unexpected hug. "I've missed you so much." He frowned at her words but hugged her back.

"I've missed you too," He smiled when she pulled away. He was surprised she had missed him at all considering she barely even emailed just to ask about the apartment let alone show any interest in his life. Then again, she never really did. Mordred was there for her to listen, like he was for most people, but she had definitely stopped even pretending to ask about his life when she left.

"How has my brother been treating you? Not too cruelly I hope," she spun around and sat behind her desk.

"Not at all, he's been good to me." He sat opposite her.

"And Merlin? Please tell me you're not still pining after him?"

"I don't pine," he spat, rather annoyed with her condescending tone.

"Well whatever you felt, I hope it's passed. Merlin is hardly worth your time."

He kept his face blank but his mind was spinning. Morgana was very different. Mordred had long ago learned to recognize the kind of anger that poured from her. He was surprised by it, by its ferocity. He had known how much she had cared for Leon, he was there after all when they broke up, but he did not realize just how much it seemed to have affected her. It seemed like something had broken her, broken the compassion and love that he had liked about her. He'd always been a little impressed, and a little jealous, that she'd always managed to hold onto that despite everything Uther put her through.

Well, Mordred thought, it didn't seem like she had managed to anymore.

"Merlin's not all bad," he defended, not sure exactly why but he did not like her saying anything bad about him. She smiled a cruel smile.

"He's seeing someone actually," She said silkily.

"I know that," Mordred replied. He did not want to talk about this.

"It is not easy to take something away from my brother," She said knowingly and Mordred again forced the surprise from not showing on his face as she bluntly confirmed his suspicions.

"I'm glad you're back Morgana," he said, moving to stand up.

"I'm sorry Mordred, where are my manners? I know how private you are, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I care for you and hate to see you hurt." She explained, "Anyway, I really just wanted to say hello and to let you know I'll be working late so I won't be home until later."

"Ok, when do you want me to move out? It'll probably-"

"Oh please Mordred! I would love to have you stay and you are more than welcome to." She said, clasping his hands.

"Thank you," he nodded and smiled, "I appreciate that." She grinned and he said goodbye, leaving as quickly as he could. He was glad that she was going to let him stay but a part of him didn't want to. He enjoyed living alone, the privacy and most of all, the quiet. He wasn't sure just how comfortable he was with having her around but he decided he would at least try it. It would be rude to go after she invited him to stay and besides, he didn't exactly have the money to move unexpectedly.

o.O.o.O.o

The rest of the day was quiet and Morgana busied herself with catching up on all that they had done since she left. She was anxious for the evening to come though. At eight, she came up with an excuse to go walking around and check in with Arthur's floor. She needed him to leave but just as she thought, he, Merlin and Mordred were hunched over his table, busily talking about something. She inwardly growled. Why did the asshole insist on working so late all the time? Thankfully, they didn't notice her and she was able to slip away. She was not in the mood to actually interact with them.

At ten, she decided she could wait no longer. If he still hadn't left, she would have to do it tomorrow. Everyone else had left a long time ago and Mordred had texted he left half an hour ago which meant Merlin and Arthur had to have left too. She slipped from the office and headed to Arthur's. Luckily, the whole floor was dark as was his office. Before she went inside, she took one last glance over her shoulder and quickly went inside. She kept the lights off, just in case, as she hurriedly went to his desk. Morgana pulled out the USB drive and looked down at it. The little voice of her conscience questioned her yet again but the hatred won out. It always did now. Any doubts were squelched by her rage and she pushed it into the USB slot on Arthur's computer. She logged on without any problems. Her foolish brother always used his mother's name as his password. Opening the drive, she double clicked on the file and then sat back and waited.

Camlann was a virus that she had had made especially for Camelot. She grinned as she watched it upload. Morgause had helped her find the crooked genius who made it. She paid a high price for it, but it would be worth it. It was the perfect, undetectable virus that once uploaded, would begin siphoning funds into an off shore account. Of course, it only took small amounts, not enough to raise suspicion. Although she seriously doubted anyone would even notice if it was larger. The greedy pigs that worked in accounting were nothing to worry about and Gwaine was more concerned about getting to the pub than he was about his work. No, Camlann would not be noticed and in five months she will have successfully taken ten million pounds from Uther. The beautiful thing about Camlann was its ability to falsify information so well. This served her in many ways. It would alter all the records in Camelot database and any connected bank accounts. Since everyone ran everything through their trusted network, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding any inconsistencies. The most fantastic part though was that it would all lead to Arthur. She couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped. It was truly perfect. Uther would be ruined, Arthur blamed and Camelot would be her's… or it would completely collapse but either way, she would get her revenge.

"Morgana?" She jumped as Merlin peered into the dark at her.

"Merlin!" She forced a smile while casting a quick glance at the screen. It was almost loaded.

"What are you doing?" He turned on the lights and she could see the frown she knew was there all too clearly.

"I was checking Arthur's calendar. I'm sure you're aware that his birthday is coming up. I wanted to have a party but I've just been so out of the loop that I thought I'd see when he's free." She lied smoothly.

"Could have just asked him to send it." He pointed out.

"It's a surprise party."

"I could have sent it instead of you breaking company policy to access his private computer." She glared at him. God Merlin, could he never just mind his own business? He was such an annoying do gooder.

"Please Merlin; we both know you couldn't keep a secret if your life dependent on it." She said, trying to tease. When she noticed that the upload was complete, she quickly closed it and opened his calendar and hit print. While Merlin glanced at the printer, she slipped the USB stick into her purse.

"You'd be surprised," Merlin said, eyeing her suspiciously. She only smiled and snatched up the paper.

"Don't worry so much Merlin," She said as he pushed past him and left. He watched her leave and then went to Arthur's computer. He looked around but found nothing open except the calendar and no pages had been opened since Arthur left. He shut it down and left, glancing around the office one last time.

Despite that Morgana was his sister and Merlin's friend, he had the gnawing feeling that she was lying to him and was up to no good.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

"Is it finished?" Morgause asked Morgana later that night. Morgana closed her bedroom door and went into the bathroom and turned on the tap.

"It is," she said with a grin, "soon we will have our revenge."

"Not so fast Morgana," Morgause chided, "planting the virus was the easy part. We have yet to wait five months without being caught."

"They will not catch us," she waved off Morgause's concern.

"Do not think just because the virus is nearly flawless that we are above making mistakes." She said impatiently, "you mustn't let them suspect you when the time comes. It is your duty now to convince everyone of your innocence, to make them all believe that you, Morgana Pendragon could never be capable of such a thing. At the same time, you must raise suspicion of Arthur. You must find a way to make people doubt him but be careful, if they feel you are trying to turn anyone against him it will be you they mistrust." She carefully instructed her, she would not let Morgana fail.

"How can I make them see Arthur for what he really is? They are loyal to him; I do not have their loyalty." Morgana frowned; it was frustrating the way that everyone loved Arthur and how hard she had to work to get anyone's respect. Everything was so easy for Arthur.

"That, I cannot tell you, you will need to find a way to plant the seeds of doubt on your own." Morgause said regretfully.

"I will." Morgana sighed, she would find a way to do what she had to, she always did.

"You should go now. Do not call me unless it is an emergency. We do not want anyone to know we are in communication."

"Alright. Thank you Morgause, for everything." Morgana meant it very deeply, without Morgause; she would not have survived the past six months. They had come across each other's path in LA purely by coincidence. Morgause was visiting a friend and had been shopping in a store the same time as Morgana. When Morgana saw her, she had said hello, not thinking anything of it. But Morgause had pulled her aside, telling her how much she regretted Uther's decision about sending her here and how little he appreciated her. Her words had been comforting and they started to talk a lot more. Morgause was a business woman who had had to claw, scratch and climb her way to her position, and still she had to fight against the men who would see her in her 'rightful place'. She understood all too well what it was like for Morgana working under the yoke of someone like Uther. Morgana admired Morgause and everything she had achieved in her life and she sought advice. Eventually, the conversations turned from giving friendly advice to expressing their equal distaste for Uther and Camelot. Morgause only remained on the board because the company provided such a large profit for her but she had expressed that she would not miss it if the company were to suddenly go under. Morgana had told her how much she wished that it would happen. The only problem for them was that they both needed the money it provided. Morgana needed it because unlike Arthur, she did not have that large of a savings. It was by far larger than the average person's, but it certainly wasn't enough to live off of. Also both of them had such a large amount of stalk in the company that if it were to suddenly go belly up, they would lose everything. It was then that Morgana had made a joke about running off with the company's money and leaving it to burn. Morgause had not laughed but instead made her an offer that she could not refuse.

"Good night my love," Morgause said and Morgana hung up. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and clenched her jaw. She had been so naive all of her life, thinking that she could earn Uther's respect, that she would be able to find a way for him to finally treat her the same as Arthur. For so long she had pushed herself to be better, to be perfect but it was never enough. Always, Arthur would find a way to out shine her, to do it better than her. It was humiliating and she could not take it anymore.

"Morgana?" Mordred knocked softly on her bedroom door. She grabbed her robe and threw it on as she answered the door.

"Yes Mordred?" She asked with a smile and he smiled warmly at her.

"I thought I heard you come in, I just wanted to make sure you got settled in alright. I haven't left your space too much of a mess, I hope."

"Not at all Mordred, everything is perfect and I'm so happy that you're here."

"Ok," he smiled that little boy smile that Morgana had loved since she met him. He was such a sweet boy who had seen so much, what she didn't know exactly, he was not one to share but she knew he had nevertheless.

"Goodnight Mordred," she bid him goodnight and he nodded, turning away and walking down the hall to his room. He had moved his things into the second guest room. It was smaller but it still had its own bathroom and it even had a better view of the park which he liked more than the view of the city from Morgana's room.

Mordred closed his bedroom door and stared into the darkness. He let out a deep breath and then pulled his clothes off, tossing them over the chair in the corner and pulling on his pajama pants. He flicked on the lamp by the desk and looked around the room. It was a lot like the master bedroom, just smaller. There was a small entry way to the room that separated the bathroom from the bedroom. To the left was the bedroom where the first half was more of an office than a bedroom. The walls were lined with bookcases and a large desk sat against the wall. In the corner was a comfortable dark blue chair and footstool with a little coffee table. The floor was hardwood for the office half of the room but changed to a thick cream colored rug. The large queen canopy bed sat at an angle in the corner, the white sheer curtains were pulled back and tied to the posts. It was an inviting bed with a warm green duvet and white pillows. The room was decorated with various shades of green, cream and white and reminded Mordred of a forest. He wasn't sure why he didn't take this room from the beginning. In fact, he really didn't know why he took Morgana's room at all. He just hadn't even considered any other room. That thought disturbed him and he shook his head and climbed in between the blankets. He didn't think he'd manage to sleep at all but considering he hadn't slept more than two hours the night before and none before that, he was asleep in minutes.

o.O.o.O.o

"Can you believe Morgana?" Merlin asked as he lay next to Arthur, looking up at the ceiling while Arthur lay on his side, propped up on his elbow with his head in his hand.

"What do you mean?" He asked, lazily tracing the curves of Merlin's torso with his fingers.

"She's so different," He said, not sure if he should mention that he thought it wasn't a good difference but he wanted to know if Arthur had noticed the change too.

"She seems to have grown up a bit," He replied and Merlin laughed.

"Morgana grow up? Arthur I think Morgana has been 'grown up' since she could speak! No, she isn't more grown up she's... harder." He said hesitantly and Arthur met his eyes.

"Well her job is difficult and anyone would struggle dealing with the stress but she has it worse than most. Not only is she a woman working in a male dominant work environment but she's a Pendragon. My family has not made their wealth by making friends and we're known for being rather ruthless. Honestly, it isn't surprising that she has to shut herself down in order to survive." He explained and Merlin considered his words.

"Is it hard for you?" He asked, looking over at him.

"Yea," he nodded a sad look on his face, "it's incredibly hard to care. It's something I always struggled with. I always cared too much and it always gets me into trouble. For a long time I shut everything off, it was the only way I could do what was expected of me and live with myself." He said honestly, "but having you in my life has made it a lot easier. You don't let me shut down," he said with a gentle kiss to Merlin's lips.

"I'm glad. You have a big heart; I would hate to see you close that off." He sighed happily and closed his eyes; Arthur curled up beside him and rested his arm across his chest. He asked no more questions, they were both exhausted and in that moment, it didn't seem all that important anymore anyway.

o.O.o.O.o

Mordred was exceptionally agitated Merlin noticed the next day. He would let his face slip every now and then when he thought no one was looking and he would have such a dark scowl Merlin desperately wanted to know what was bothering him. Was it having Morgana back? Did something happen last night when she got home? Had she said something to bother him? Or was it not at all related to Morgana? He was dying to ask him but Mordred would not be alone with Merlin. It became apparent that he was actively avoiding Merlin part way through the day and he couldn't figure out why. Had Merlin said something? The tension was still there between them but he had hoped they would be able to move past it after all this time. Mordred still subtly flirted almost on a daily basis but that day, he wasn't even looking at Merlin. Finally after Mordred had completely ignored Merlin's talking to him, he had had enough.

"Mordred!" Merlin snapped but Mordred pretended to not hear him. He angrily chewed his tongue as he stood in the hallway watching Mordred walk away. This was getting ridiculous. He was his boss! He couldn't just ignore him like this, it was completely unprofessional! And it was also really starting to hurt Merlin's feelings.

Merlin stormed after him, looking down several hallways before locating him talking to Freya, a girl from finance just outside the supplies closet. He stood by the corner, waiting for them to finish talking. When Freya turned around and walked the other direction, Merlin trudged down the hallway towards Mordred.

"Mordred," he nearly shouted and grabbed his arm. He could hear someone coming down the hall but needed to talk to him now before he could get away again. Looking around, he quickly shoved Mordred into the closet and shut the door.

"Open that door Emyrs," Mordred hissed when Merlin faced him.

"No," Merlin spat and folded his arms across his chest, "why are you cross with me?" Mordred growled and ran his hands through his hair.

"Emyrs..." he seethed and Merlin had to resist the urge to slap him.

"What is your problem Mordred?!"

"You know what!" He shouted back and Merlin moved back at the rage in his words.

"Mordred," Merlin sighed, "come on, can't we be civil?"

"Open the door Merlin," he said. Merlin's name sounded strange coming from him, he never used it and Merlin could hear the bit of Romanian accent in the 'r'.

"Why?" He asked and Mordred closed the distance between them.

"Don't be a fool Merlin, we both know that Arthur is a better man than me." He said not really answering Merlin's question but saying what he really needed to say instead.

"How..." Merlin stammered and Mordred rolled his eyes.

"I'm not an idiot Emyrs; I've known Arthur was your boyfriend for months now."

"Did...did we do something?" He asked, desperate to know how many other people knew.

"No, don't worry; I don't think anyone else knows except Morgana. I only know because you look at Arthur the way I wish you'd look at me." Merlin gulped at his words.

"I'm sorry Mordred."

"Don't be," He smiled that strange smile of his; a smile so twisted with bitter sweet pain, "you deserve someone who's a lot better than me and Arthur is definitely a better man."

"Don't say that," Merlin frowned, Mordred was a good man too but he just quietly laughed and brushed a stray hair behind Merlin's ear.

"A good man wouldn't be trying to steal away someone else's man." He whispered and Merlin nodded, that was true.

"I'm not someone anyone can steal," he replied lamely and backed away from Mordred.

"No, you're not. You're a good person, pure and you would never do anything to hurt someone you love. But give me some kindness," he pleaded, stepping closer yet, "do not pretend that you do not know how I feel about you Emyrs."

"But I don't _know!_" Merlin growled as he glared at him, "I know that you're attracted to me, that you want me but that's all I know. Despite the fact that I feel like I can read your mind most days, I can't when it comes to me. You confused me Mordred; I don't know what you feel about me." He rambled and Mordred just stared at him, that same blank look as always.

"Merlin," He whispered and cupped his cheek with his hand, "I am in love with you. That is how I feel about you. I love you; I love all of you, every part of you. I love the way you clench your hair when you're frustrated; the way that you bite your lip when you're scared or nervous. I adore the way that your lips move when you read to yourself and the way that you always listen to everyone. I love the way that your pants always seem to barely be hanging onto your hips, the way that I can see your stomach when you wear your t-shirts. I love the way that you always see me and yet you never look away. You see who I am, you see all of me and yet you don't recoil, you don't turn away. I love the way you make me feel so warm. You are the fire while I am freezing to death and I love how big your heart is. I love how deeply you care for everyone, how loyal you are. I love you from head to toe, mind to soul." He said breathlessly.

**AN: **Chapter Twenty Four

"Is it finished?" Morgause asked Morgana later that night. Morgana closed her bedroom door and went into the bathroom and turned on the tap.

"It is," she said with a grin, "soon we will have our revenge."

"Not so fast Morgana," Morgause chided, "planting the virus was the easy part. We have yet to wait five months without being caught."

"They will not catch us," she waved off Morgause's concern.

"Do not think just because the virus is nearly flawless that we are above making mistakes." She said impatiently, "you mustn't let them suspect you when the time comes. It is your duty now to convince everyone of your innocence, to make them all believe that you, Morgana Pendragon could never be capable of such a thing. At the same time, you must raise suspicion of Arthur. You must find a way to make people doubt him but be careful, if they feel you are trying to turn anyone against him it will be you they mistrust." She carefully instructed her, she would not let Morgana fail.

"How can I make them see Arthur for what he really is? They are loyal to him; I do not have their loyalty." Morgana frowned; it was frustrating the way that everyone loved Arthur and how hard she had to work to get anyone's respect. Everything was so easy for Arthur.

"That, I cannot tell you, you will need to find a way to plant the seeds of doubt on your own." Morgause said regretfully.

"I will." Morgana sighed, she would find a way to do what she had to, she always did.

"You should go now. Do not call me unless it is an emergency. We do not want anyone to know we are in communication."

"Alright. Thank you Morgause, for everything." Morgana meant it very deeply, without Morgause; she would not have survived the past six months. They had come across each other's path in LA purely by coincidence. Morgause was visiting a friend and had been shopping in a store the same time as Morgana. When Morgana saw her, she had said hello, not thinking anything of it. But Morgause had pulled her aside, telling her how much she regretted Uther's decision about sending her here and how little he appreciated her. Her words had been comforting and they started to talk a lot more. Morgause was a business woman who had had to claw, scratch and climb her way to her position, and still she had to fight against the men who would see her in her 'rightful place'. She understood all too well what it was like for Morgana working under the yoke of someone like Uther. Morgana admired Morgause and everything she had achieved in her life and she sought advice. Eventually, the conversations turned from giving friendly advice to expressing their equal distaste for Uther and Camelot. Morgause only remained on the board because the company provided such a large profit for her but she had expressed that she would not miss it if the company were to suddenly go under. Morgana had told her how much she wished that it would happen. The only problem for them was that they both needed the money it provided. Morgana needed it because unlike Arthur, she did not have that large of a savings. It was by far larger than the average person's, but it certainly wasn't enough to live off of. Also both of them had such a large amount of stalk in the company that if it were to suddenly go belly up, they would lose everything. It was then that Morgana had made a joke about running off with the company's money and leaving it to burn. Morgause had not laughed but instead made her an offer that she could not refuse.

"Good night my love," Morgause said and Morgana hung up. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and clenched her jaw. She had been so naive all of her life, thinking that she could earn Uther's respect, that she would be able to find a way for him to finally treat her the same as Arthur. For so long she had pushed herself to be better, to be perfect but it was never enough. Always, Arthur would find a way to out shine her, to do it better than her. It was humiliating and she could not take it anymore.

"Morgana?" Mordred knocked softly on her bedroom door. She grabbed her robe and threw it on as she answered the door.

"Yes Mordred?" She asked with a smile and he smiled warmly at her.

"I thought I heard you come in, I just wanted to make sure you got settled in alright. I haven't left your space too much of a mess, I hope."

"Not at all Mordred, everything is perfect and I'm so happy that you're here."

"Ok," he smiled that little boy smile that Morgana had loved since she met him. He was such a sweet boy who had seen so much, what she didn't know exactly, he was not one to share but she knew he had nevertheless.

"Goodnight Mordred," she bid him goodnight and he nodded, turning away and walking down the hall to his room. He had moved his things into the second guest room. It was smaller but it still had its own bathroom and it even had a better view of the park which he liked more than the view of the city from Morgana's room.

Mordred closed his bedroom door and stared into the darkness. He let out a deep breath and then pulled his clothes off, tossing them over the chair in the corner and pulling on his pajama pants. He flicked on the lamp by the desk and looked around the room. It was a lot like the master bedroom, just smaller. There was a small entry way to the room that separated the bathroom from the bedroom. To the left was the bedroom where the first half was more of an office than a bedroom. The walls were lined with bookcases and a large desk sat against the wall. In the corner was a comfortable dark blue chair and footstool with a little coffee table. The floor was hardwood for the office half of the room but changed to a thick cream colored rug. The large queen canopy bed sat at an angle in the corner, the white sheer curtains were pulled back and tied to the posts. It was an inviting bed with a warm green duvet and white pillows. The room was decorated with various shades of green, cream and white and reminded Mordred of a forest. He wasn't sure why he didn't take this room from the beginning. In fact, he really didn't know why he took Morgana's room at all. He just hadn't even considered any other room. That thought disturbed him and he shook his head and climbed in between the blankets. He didn't think he'd manage to sleep at all but considering he hadn't slept more than two hours the night before and none before that, he was asleep in minutes.

o.O.o.O.o

"Can you believe Morgana?" Merlin asked as he lay next to Arthur, looking up at the ceiling while Arthur lay on his side, propped up on his elbow with his head in his hand.

"What do you mean?" He asked, lazily tracing the curves of Merlin's torso with his fingers.

"She's so different," He said, not sure if he should mention that he thought it wasn't a good difference but he wanted to know if Arthur had noticed the change too.

"She seems to have grown up a bit," He replied and Merlin laughed.

"Morgana grow up? Arthur I think Morgana has been 'grown up' since she could speak! No, she isn't more grown up she's... harder." He said hesitantly and Arthur met his eyes.

"Well her job is difficult and anyone would struggle dealing with the stress but she has it worse than most. Not only is she a woman working in a male dominant work environment but she's a Pendragon. My family has not made their wealth by making friends and we're known for being rather ruthless. Honestly, it isn't surprising that she has to shut herself down in order to survive." He explained and Merlin considered his words.

"Is it hard for you?" He asked, looking over at him.

"Yea," he nodded a sad look on his face, "it's incredibly hard to care. It's something I always struggled with. I always cared too much and it always gets me into trouble. For a long time I shut everything off, it was the only way I could do what was expected of me and live with myself." He said honestly, "but having you in my life has made it a lot easier. You don't let me shut down," he said with a gentle kiss to Merlin's lips.

"I'm glad. You have a big heart; I would hate to see you close that off." He sighed happily and closed his eyes; Arthur curled up beside him and rested his arm across his chest. He asked no more questions, they were both exhausted and in that moment, it didn't seem all that important anymore anyway.

o.O.o.O.o

Mordred was exceptionally agitated Merlin noticed the next day. He would let his face slip every now and then when he thought no one was looking and he would have such a dark scowl Merlin desperately wanted to know what was bothering him. Was it having Morgana back? Did something happen last night when she got home? Had she said something to bother him? Or was it not at all related to Morgana? He was dying to ask him but Mordred would not be alone with Merlin. It became apparent that he was actively avoiding Merlin part way through the day and he couldn't figure out why. Had Merlin said something? The tension was still there between them but he had hoped they would be able to move past it after all this time. Mordred still subtly flirted almost on a daily basis but that day, he wasn't even looking at Merlin. Finally after Mordred had completely ignored Merlin's talking to him, he had had enough.

"Mordred!" Merlin snapped but Mordred pretended to not hear him. He angrily chewed his tongue as he stood in the hallway watching Mordred walk away. This was getting ridiculous. He was his boss! He couldn't just ignore him like this, it was completely unprofessional! And it was also really starting to hurt Merlin's feelings.

Merlin stormed after him, looking down several hallways before locating him talking to Freya, a girl from finance just outside the supplies closet. He stood by the corner, waiting for them to finish talking. When Freya turned around and walked the other direction, Merlin trudged down the hallway towards Mordred.

"Mordred," he nearly shouted and grabbed his arm. He could hear someone coming down the hall but needed to talk to him now before he could get away again. Looking around, he quickly shoved Mordred into the closet and shut the door.

"Open that door Emyrs," Mordred hissed when Merlin faced him.

"No," Merlin spat and folded his arms across his chest, "why are you cross with me?" Mordred growled and ran his hands through his hair.

"Emyrs..." he seethed and Merlin had to resist the urge to slap him.

"What is your problem Mordred?!"

"You know what!" He shouted back and Merlin moved back at the rage in his words.

"Mordred," Merlin sighed, "come on, can't we be civil?"

"Open the door Merlin," he said. Merlin's name sounded strange coming from him, he never used it and Merlin could hear the bit of Romanian accent in the 'r'.

"Why?" He asked and Mordred closed the distance between them.

"Don't be a fool Merlin, we both know that Arthur is a better man than me." He said not really answering Merlin's question but saying what he really needed to say instead.

"How..." Merlin stammered and Mordred rolled his eyes.

"I'm not an idiot Emyrs; I've known Arthur was your boyfriend for months now."

"Did...did we do something?" He asked, desperate to know how many other people knew.

"No, don't worry; I don't think anyone else knows except Morgana. I only know because you look at Arthur the way I wish you'd look at me." Merlin gulped at his words.

"I'm sorry Mordred."

"Don't be," He smiled that strange smile of his; a smile so twisted with bitter sweet pain, "you deserve someone who's a lot better than me and Arthur is definitely a better man."

"Don't say that," Merlin frowned, Mordred was a good man too but he just quietly laughed and brushed a stray hair behind Merlin's ear.

"A good man wouldn't be trying to steal away someone else's man." He whispered and Merlin nodded, that was true.

"I'm not someone anyone can steal," he replied lamely and backed away from Mordred.

"No, you're not. You're a good person, pure and you would never do anything to hurt someone you love. But give me some kindness," he pleaded, stepping closer yet, "do not pretend that you do not know how I feel about you Emyrs."

"But I don't _know!_" Merlin growled as he glared at him, "I know that you're attracted to me, that you want me but that's all I know. Despite the fact that I feel like I can read your mind most days, I can't when it comes to me. You confused me Mordred; I don't know what you feel about me." He rambled and Mordred just stared at him, that same blank look as always.

"Merlin," He whispered and cupped his cheek with his hand, "I am in love with you. That is how I feel about you. I love you; I love all of you, every part of you. I love the way you clench your hair when you're frustrated; the way that you bite your lip when you're scared or nervous. I adore the way that your lips move when you read to yourself and the way that you always listen to everyone. I love the way that your pants always seem to barely be hanging onto your hips, the way that I can see your stomach when you wear your t-shirts. I love the way that you always see me and yet you never look away. You see who I am, you see all of me and yet you don't recoil, you don't turn away. I love the way you make me feel so warm. You are the fire while I am freezing to death and I love how big your heart is. I love how deeply you care for everyone, how loyal you are. I love you from head to toe, mind to soul." He said breathlessly.

**AN**: Thanks so much for the reviews guys! I'm so glad you're finding it suspenseful!


	26. Chapter 25

**AN:** So a LOT happens in this chapter and I'm sorry for the insane rush of it all. Just feel like the story needs to move along now and it's going to get stale if I continue writing all the day-to-day stuff. So hopefully I haven't overdone it and it's moving too fast now! Let me know if I am though! Also sorry it took me a little longer to update this chapter. I've been doing pretty good with updating a chapter a day, might be a while though for the next one. I'll wait to see what your response to this chapter is and if I'm moving to fast or not.

o.O.o.O.o

Chapter Twenty Five

Merlin stared at him, his heart racing in his chest.

"No," He finally managed to say, "no, no, NO!" He shoved Mordred in the chest hard, "you don't love me Mordred. Take it back, now!" He felt like he was on the verge of tears. Why did Mordred have to keep making things so fucking difficult?!

"No," Mordred growled as Merlin shoved him, he wouldn't give Merlin any ground. "I'm not going to take back what I said." He had already gone too far, said too much but he couldn't stop himself. Merlin had pushed him too far and he couldn't hold it in anymore. The truth was that he didn't want to take back what he'd said. He knew what he was doing wasn't fair, that it wasn't kind or something he should do if he really did love Merlin but he needed to. He cupped Merlin's face hard in his hands and Merlin gasped.

"Mordred don't! Why did you do this?! I love Arthur Mordred," he rambled, bordering on hysterical.

"Don't you think I know that?! Can't see you that it's killing me every day to watch you with him? It hurts," He choked and Merlin fought against the frustrated tears. Why did Mordred have to do this? Why was Merlin such an idiot? Thinking he could just _talk_ to Mordred.

"I'm sorry," Merlin whispered.

"I know you are," he pressed his forehead to Merlin's, "I know you would rather have never met me, I wish I had not met you." He stared into Merlin's face, everything inside of him screaming against his actions, against his restraint.

"I don't know what to do..."

"Open the door Emyrs..." he whispered, his lips brushing against Merlin's, "before I behave any more selfishly. Please, open the door."

Merlin reached behind him, his feet frozen and he couldn't force himself to move away from Mordred so he did the only thing he could manage. He opened the door, pushing it open and looking up at Mordred, searching his face. Mordred smiled sadly and let his hands slip from Merlin's face.

"Thank you," he whispered and moved around Merlin and nearly bolted from the closet. Merlin drew in a shaking breath and closed the door again. He needed a minute to compose himself.

o.O.o.O.o

Arthur watched a flustered Mordred sprint from the supply closet and frowned. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes seemed unusually red. He wondered if he'd just been doing something inappropriate with someone in the closet when he caught the site of Merlin closing the door. He blinked in surprise and instantly, jealousy roared up inside of him. He clenched his fists and pulled open the closet door.

"Merlin," he spat and looked around for the other man. Merlin rounded the corner of the shelf and looked at Arthur, tears running down his pale cheeks. Jealousy gave way to fear, had Mordred done something? Hurt Merlin in some way? "What's wrong?" He asked quickly, pulling Merlin to him.

"Just," Merlin couldn't say anything as he clung onto Arthur. He didn't know what to say, what could he possibly say? How could he fix this? "I'm sorry..."

"Did something happen with Mordred?" He asked despite the screaming voice inside of him who desperately didn't want to know.

"No, not really," he shook his head, "not like that." Arthur sighed with relief, "but... he said some things and I don't know what to do about it."

"It's ok," Arthur reassured. He held onto Merlin until he managed to get control of himself again. He assured him that he didn't have to tell him after Merlin failed to explain what happened. He said he needed to work it out on his own and Arthur understood, he told him he trusted him but to be careful.

o.O.o.O.o

"Morgana," Mordred knocked on Morgana's office door a little harder than he meant to.

"Mordred, come in," she smiled when she saw him but the smile faltered at his expression.

"I can't work for them anymore. I need to distance myself from Merlin," he explained and she invited him to sit. He explained to her as much as he could, as much as he trusted her with. He knew he could not ask what he was about to without giving her some information. "Can I work for you? Can I, I don't know, can George and I switch positions?" He asked referring to Morgana's new assistant.

"Of course Mordred," Morgana smiled sweetly, "I will talk to Arthur and we'll work it out. Don't worry about a thing."

o.O.o.O.o

Arthur did not pressure Merlin to talk about what happened with Mordred for the rest of the day nor did he ask about it the following morning. Instead, he had just kissed him sweetly before they were leaving the house and told him to take his time and that he loved him. Merlin couldn't understand how he could be so clam about the whole situation. He expected him to be angry but instead he was just patiently letting Merlin work things out.

Merlin followed Arthur into work, arriving five minutes later and walked by Mordred's desk.

"Good morning Mordred," he said out of habit and walked into his office. It was then that he realized that it wasn't Mordred at his desk. He slowly backed up and looked down the hall. Another man sat perfectly poised at the desk, skillfully checking Arthur's calendar as he talked on the phone. Merlin frowned.

"Who are you?" He asked once the other was off the phone.

"This is George," Arthur said just as he came out of the office. _George_ handed him a file and Arthur thanked him and went back in his office.

"Um," Merlin looked back at George and then followed Arthur in. "Why do we have a George? What's happened with Mordred?" He asked, suddenly anxious that the previous day's incident had cause Mordred to suddenly be sick.

"George was, is my father's assistant but since my father has been setting back lately, George was going to be reassigned. I was going to have Morgana take him on but she requested Mordred." He explained, "So we have George now, well I do but we can share," he said with a wink.

"And did you plan on telling me this at all?" Merlin snapped, annoyed with Arthur suddenly for not giving him any warning.

"I'm telling you now," he replied and Merlin grew more annoyed. Arthur wasn't looking at him and was clearly hiding something about the situation.

"Well this is ridiculous; we can't just go ship Mordred off to Morgana. He's our assistant! He knows what we like, what we need, how like things to do be done and he's up to date on all our current projects. This... this _George_ knows nothing about us or what we're working on." He complained and Arthur angrily threw the file on his desk.

"What does it matter Merlin? George is a better assistant anyway and more familiar with the work my father's been doing. He's all caught up on our projects and Mordred gave him all the information he needs. So tell me why does it matter so much that Mordred is gone?"

"When was this decided? It sounds like you've been planning it for awhile-"

"Yesterday," he replied easily and Merlin felt like throttling him.

"Yesterday?" He repeated. Obviously Mordred hated him now and couldn't stand being in the same room as him. He couldn't believe he'd just left and not said anything to him.

"Why are you so upset? I should think you'd be happy. You won't have to deal with him hanging all over you now." Arthur said tiredly and Merlin knew that he really wasn't so calm after all.

"I'm not, I'm just surprised. Sorry," he forced his goofy grin back, "it'll be good to have George." He assured. "Anyway, I have a um, contract to review," he stammered and Arthur watched him leave. Merlin felt like a total idiot. He hadn't meant to get so upset about Mordred leaving them, it had just been so surprising and, much to his annoyance, it had hurt. He closed his office door and sat down at his desk, promptly leaning forward and banging his head against the top.

"I-di-ot!" he groaned, banging his head with each syllable. He rubbed his eyes and stared at his computer. He really needed to sort out his feelings about Mordred but it was so difficult. He found Mordred so confusing and it frustrated the hell out of him. Yes, he was attracted to him; he could at least admit that to himself. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have let him kiss him six months ago or get so close to him yesterday, or even still be thinking about the kiss! But he loved Arthur and there was no one that could possibly begin to alter his feelings for him. He wanted Arthur; he didn't doubt that at all. Mordred wasn't making him question his own relationship, only its boundaries. He felt drawn to him in a way that was completely different than Arthur. Mordred came from the same kind of life that Merlin had—a poor, isolated childhood and there was an understanding they shared. Even though Mordred hadn't ever really told him much and neither had Merlin, he seemed to understand Merlin in a way that Arthur couldn't. As much as Arthur tired to always see things from Merlin's point of view, he'd grown up privileged and as a result, he couldn't understand simple things like not wasting food or spending money on frivolous things. Not like those were incredibly important to Merlin, it was just that Mordred knew what it was like to want and need for things whereas Arthur didn't. It wasn't just that though, Merlin rubbed his eyes again in frustration. It was something else, as if they were kindred spirits whereas Arthur and Merlin were 'two sides of the same coin' as Lance liked to say. He desperately wished that he could be friends with Mordred but his feelings for him had made that impossible. If Arthur wasn't in the picture, Merlin probably would have dated Mordred. His own feelings were nearly as strong as Mordred's, not even in the same realm, but he would have dated him if it had been the only way to get to know him better.

He sighed heavily and opened up the contract on his computer. He would not dwell on Mordred. He couldn't control how the other man felt but he could control the way he reacted to it. Instead of driving himself insane, he poured his frustration into his work. Over the next three weeks, he put everything into work. Tension between him and Arthur seemed to ease after Mordred had left and George was an exceptional replacement. Merlin thought he was an incredible assistant, far better than he had ever been but Arthur seemed to take a dislike to him. As a result, Merlin found himself doing a lot of things for Arthur that he hadn't done since his new job but he didn't mind too much. When confronted finally about his strange dislike of George, Arthur finally confessed that the man was duller than a sack of bricks. He just couldn't handle his lack of a sense of humor and how he always seemed to be right there every time he turned around. By three weeks, Arthur was pleading with his father to take George back and get him a new assistant.

"Hey Merlin," Gwaine knocked on his door, "got plans tonight?"

"Don't think so," Merlin thought, trying to remember if he and Arthur had planned anything but came up blank, "nope, why?"

"Thought we could go for drinks," he said with a grin and Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Percy busy tonight?" He teased and Gwaine made a face.

"Ever since he started seeing that redhead-"

"He's still seeing her?" Merlin asked with surprise. Percy never managed to hold onto a girl for more than a couple weeks and the last one Merlin had heard about was a redhead from Australia who was backpacking across Europe.

"The Aussie? No," Gwaine laughed, "he ditched that one long time ago mate. No he's seeing this other redhead, Amy or something. I think she's some kind of international actress," he said with a shrug. In addition to never holding onto a woman, Percy was also known for dating rather famous individuals. It went his job, Merlin supposed, he was a lot more involved with the press and everyone in that world that Merlin couldn't even attempt to understand. It wasn't uncommon for him to be dating a super model, an actress or well known journalist.

"Ah, I thought it would have been a bit of a long relationship for him." Merlin teased and Gwaine grinned.

"Yea, so drinks yea?"

"Drinks it is. I'll be done here in an hour or so," Merlin smiled. Gwaine said he'd meet him outside at seven.

_Going for drinks with Gwaine tonight_ Merlin texted Arthur. Since he had unofficially moved in with him, he tried to keep him up to date on what he was doing. Merlin met Gwaine by the front doors an hour later just as planned. They talked and joked as they walked to their favorite pub; it was the perfect distance from work and home.

Fifteen minutes later, they were laughing so hard their ribs hurt as they talked about their coworkers. Merlin grinned, he really liked Gwaine and he didn't know why they didn't spend more time together. Maybe it was because he was always with Percy.

"Arthur is such a git," Merlin said, turning their latest teasing onto his boss and boyfriend, "I honestly don't know how he got on without me before with the amount of mistakes I catch him making." Gwaine laughed and nodded understandingly.

"Even with you, he still manages to get himself into trouble," he said as he took a gulp of beer.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, still chuckling at their equal amusement with Arthur's idiocy.

"Ah, it's nothing. I just caught this mistake he made on this report he handed in."

"What report?" Merlin frowned, any report he handed in Merlin surely would have read before sending it off therefore making it his mistake too.

"Oh you know that report on recent acquisitions? Well he just reported us earning a higher profit than what we actually did according to the bank." Gwaine said, dismissing it quickly, "no biggie, I'm sure it's just a clerical error. I'll get it sorted out soon enough."

"Ok," Merlin shrugged, no one was perfect after all and they were bound to make mistakes so he thought nothing more of it. "It's too bad we don't do this more often," he said after a few minutes of silence as they both drank.

"Why don't we?" Gwaine asks with that silly smile of his that Merlin just knows makes all the girls and most boys swoon.

"I don't know," Merlin shrugs, "probably because you'd rather spend your time with Percy." He teases and Gwaine smiles even more and his eyes sparkle just the slightest at the mention of Percy's name.

"Ah, Percival," Gwaine says with a sigh.

"You know when he brought you to the party and was saying how he picked you up at a bar, I thought he meant, you know, that he had _picked you up_." Merlin said with a smile and Gwaine grinned that cheeky grin of his.

"Yea, me too," he confessed and Merlin raises his eyebrows at him.

"That must have been disappointing."

"A bit," he smiled and sighed a sigh that only someone who was in love could manage, "I can wait though." Merlin grinned and shook his head.

"Unrequited love is the worst." He responded.

"Sounds like you've got some experience?" He asked interestedly and Merlin shook his head. No more dwelling on this Mordred situation.

"Hardly."

"So Arthur's finally given in has he?" Gwaine asked and Merlin nearly inhaled half a pint of beer.

"What?"Gwaine burst out laughing at Merlin's look of absolute terror.

"Nothing mate, don't worry about it." Gwaine laughed and then quickly waived over the waitress and ordered another round of drinks with the addition of tequila shots and a platter of nachos. Merlin kept his head down, staring at the bottom of his glass and thinking about Gwaine's comment. They stayed away from the topic of romance for the rest of the night. Merlin did not want to have to think about the slightly strange love triangle he found himself in and Gwaine simply wanted to bury his feelings for Percy in liquor.

o.O.o. Four weeks later o.O.o

"Merlin?" Gwaine knocked on Merlin's office door several weeks after their night out.

"Yea?" Merlin asked, still focusing on the work in front of him.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Merlin looked up and was surprised by the serious look on his face. Gwaine always managed to have a slightly amused look to him, as if he knew some silly secret that no one else did.

"What's going on?" He asked, setting down his pen and giving Gwaine his full attention.

"Remember how I mentioned a few weeks ago that Arthur had made a little error on that report?" He asked, sitting down across from Merlin and resting his arms on the desk. He spoke in a hushed whisper as if someone might overhear them.

"Yea," Merlin frowned, confused.

"Well, I was trying to figure out what happened so I was doing some digging and I came across something." He started to explain but paused and Merlin waited for him to go on.

"Ok..." he prompted for him to continue.

"You probably don't know this but I used to work for the HM Revenue in the fraud department." He backtracked and Merlin shook his head.

"Ok what does that have to do with a mistake Arthur made?"

"Well, having spent nearly ten years investigating companies that were committing fraud, I learned a lot of the tricks."

"Wait, wait a second," Merlin held up his hand, "you aren't seriously going to suggest that Arthur's committing fraud? Because that would be the stupidest thing you've ever said."

"I print everything out. I know I shouldn't, I know we're a 'paperless' company but I always print hard copies of everything."

"That's a waste," Merlin said, getting rather annoyed by Gwaine taking his sweet time in explaining things.

"I know, Sir Gwaine, destroyer of trees," he rolled his eyes and continued, "The point is that every financial report that is sent to me, I print a hard copy of. I've been doing this since I started here which means I have the original of every report."

"Get to the point Gwaine"

"The reports aren't matching what's in the system. At first I thought it was just a clerical mistake like I said but then I went through everything and it's not a mistake. Someone's altered the data."

"Why would they do that? And what does Arthur have to do with this?" Merlin pressed.

"They would do it to make it appear like the company was making less money than it actually is if they're skimming profits. This is about Arthur because it's been all of his deals," Gwaine explained ominously and Merlin gaped at him.

"Are you suggesting that Arthur is stealing from Camelot?"

"No," he shook his head, "He would never do that. I'm suggesting that _someone_ is stealing and they're doing a damn good job of making it look like Arthur."

"Tell me everything Gwaine. Every report, how much has been taken and everything you know." Merlin ordered and Gwaine wasted no time in telling him everything he'd found out.

"So it's not just in our database, it's with the bank accounts too?"

"Yea, they're falsifying everything. I don't know how but I know that only five people in this entire company have the level of clearance that would be needed to access the bank accounts." Gwaine nodded and Merlin leaned back in his chair.

"Morgana," Merlin finally said and Gwaine looked at him with a furrowed brow.

"Morgana?" He shook his head, "why would she be stealing from Camelot?"

"I don't know," he shook his head and suddenly remembered how she had been in Arthur's office. "Gwaine there's something I should tell you. When Morgana got back from LA, I caught her in Arthur's office when he wasn't there. She was on his computer. She said she was getting his calendar so that she could plan that surprise party but..." he shook his head, "what if she wasn't?"

"Did you check his computer after she left?" He asked.

"Yea, but nothing had been opened except the calendar." He shook his head and sighed with frustration, "but she's been different since she got back Gwaine. I know that she probably seems like the same old Morgana but... I can tell something's not right. She's... angry."

"I don't know Morgana well enough to know what she was like before but she's definitely a bit of an ice queen." Gwaine whispered, "We need to talk to Arthur."

"No," Merlin shook his head quickly, "we can't just go up to him without any proof and say that Morgana is stealing from Camelot. We need proof."

"You're right," he nodded and leaned back, rubbing the stubble on his cheeks that he always seemed to have. "I'll see what I can dig up but Merlin there are thousand ways she could be doing this. All we know so far is that somehow records are being altered but we have no idea exactly how. I mean we have good spyware on the network but obviously this has gotten past it."

"I think I might know someone who might be able to help but," Merlin bit his lip, "it'd be breaking a lot of rules."

"What?"

"I know someone who's kind of a hacking genius and well, she might be able to find out what's happening in the system but she would need access to Camelot's closed network... and probably a level five clearance."

"No way," Gwaine shook his head, "I don't even have level five clearance and if we take someone else's and get caught..." he shook his head more vigorously. Merlin chewed his lip and tried to come up with a solution. The five people who had full access to all of Camelot's database and banks were Uther, Arthur, Morgana, Agravaine and Lance.

"What if we talked to Lance?" He suggested, "We could trust him."

"I don't know," he shook his head, "you know him better than I do."

"I'll talk to him. I don't know how he'll feel about keeping this from Arthur but if Morgana is stealing from Camelot and framing Arthur, then we can't just sit back and do nothing." Gwaine nodded his agreement. They decided Merlin would approach Lance as soon as he could.

Turned out the soonest he could get Lance alone was several days later.

"Finally!" Merlin said as he walked into Lance's office and shut the door.

"What?" He smiled and looked at him questioningly.

"I've been trying to talk to you all week!" He sat down across from him.

"Oh sorry, been really busy." Lance apologized, "what can I do for you though Merlin?"

"I need your help," and he explained everything Gwaine and he had discovered. Lance looked like he was ready to have Morgana executed on the spot when he had finally finished.

"That fucking bitch," he growled and shook his head.

"I know but we can't prove any of this and none of us are skilled enough to figure it out on the computer and who knows if Morgana has someone helping her in the office. We can't trust anyone; they could be working for her or willing to tell her for the promise of payment." Merlin explained darkly.

"You said you needed my help, how can I help?" Lance asked and Merlin grinned. Lance was so loyal to Camelot; he knew he would do anything to protect it.

"I know someone who could find out what's happening but they need access to Camelot's networks... all of them..." Lance drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out, understanding immediately what it was that Merlin was asking of him.

"If we get caught, we will all lose our jobs and possibly go to jail. It'll look like we're stealing corporate secrets."

"I know."

"Uther would have us punished and we'd probably get pinned for the fraud too."

"Probably," Merlin nodded everything he was saying was true.

"There's a good chance we will get caught. The odds are definitely not in our favor."

"Nope."

"But it's the honorable thing to do," Lance said, again he was right.

"Yup, that's us. Sir Gwaine the champion against all odds and Sir Lancelot, the brave and honorable." Merlin joked and Lance grinned.

"And Merlin, the wise friend always by Arthur's side."


	27. Chapter 26

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews! It really helps to know your response before going onto the next chapter!

Chapter Twenty Six

"Ok so the thing about Freya is that she isn't exactly the person we want to be seen with," Merlin explained three days later as he, Lance and Gwaine drove to a bar across the city.

"Why?" Lance asked, raising his dark eyebrows.

"Well, let's just say that she tends to tread that line of legal and illegal... more so on the illegal side of things," he replied with a guilty grin and Lance rolled his eyes.

"Great, so we're trusting the fate of Camelot to some degenerate?"

"Hey!" Merlin reached across and punched Lance in the arm, "that's my friend you're talking about! She isn't a degenerate. She's brilliant and the smartest person I know. She just doesn't believe in keeping knowledge from anyone, so she tends to hack into places that she shouldn't and reveal certain kinds of secrets that she believes the public has a right to know..." he tried to explain it as best as he could without making it sound like she was a lowlife criminal.

"So, basically, she shares corporate secrets with the internet?" Lance asked, eyes narrowing at Merlin.

"Sort of... sometimes she gets paid." He grinned over at Lance and Lance shook his head.

"So basically we're asking a person who commits corporate espionage on a daily basis to help us _stop someone from committing fraud and possibly sharing corporate secrets?_" Lance growled and Merlin beamed at him.

"Exactly!"

"Arg Merlin!" He smacked his forehead, "how do you know these people!?"

"Oh I've known Freya for years," he shrugged off Lance's obvious doubts, he knew he could trust her and Lance would just have to trust him. "We met by accident online, we had both been... doing some not so legal things I don't feel comfortable sharing and we became friends. I haven't actually ever met her face to face-"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Lance screamed and Gwaine burst out laughing.

"I know!" Merlin quickly held up his hands in surrender, "I know it's not ideal but honestly guys, we don't have any other choice."

"You're going to be the death of me Merlin," Lance let out a shaky breath and tried to calm himself.

"Aye," Gwaine nodded in agreement.

"I think that's her," Merlin said a few minutes later when they walked into the bar and began scanning the crowd for a girl sitting alone. It wasn't very easy to spot her considering it was Friday night and girl's night at the bar she had chosen. Gwaine and Lance looked towards the girl Merlin was pointing at. She was sitting at the far corner at a booth with her laptop, headphones on as she typed at a pace none of them could compete with. She had short purple hair cut in a pixie style and she had a delicate face with soft inviting features. The three men walked over to the table quickly.

"Freya?" Merlin asked, trying to get her attention. She held up her finger and continued typing. A few moments later, she closed her laptop and pulled her headphones off as she looked up at them.

"Dragoon?" She asked quietly and Merlin nodded.

"Dragoon?" Gwaine said with a smirk as he looked at Merlin who just shrugged.

"Screen name." They sat down on the wooden benches and Merlin introduced everyone. Gwaine wasted no time in flagging down a server and getting drinks.

"So Dragoon, what can I do for you and your knights of Camelot?" Freya asked with a coy smile.

"Please, call me Merlin," Merlin corrected, "and we need your help."

"You're coming to me for help?" She raised her delicate eyebrows in amusement, "why would I help anyone who works for Camelot?" She asked, her tone turning to disgust.

"Because Camelot isn't a horrible place."

"Uther Pendragon is a tyrant, a corporate bully who destroys anyone who stands in his way." She recited and Lance rolled his eyes.

"Yea he is," Merlin nodded with agreement, "but Uther isn't going to be running Camelot for much longer. Arthur is taking over and he's a good man. He'll change things, he'll make it a better business but he can't do that if we don't get your help." He pleaded and Freya looked from one man to the next.

"What do you need?"

"We believe someone has infiltrated Camelot's database and is stealing money and possibly more. They're using Arthur's account and making sure everything leads back to him." Lance said, leaning his elbows onto the hard wooden table.

"And why don't you think its Arthur who's doing this?" She asked.

"Because Arthur would never do anything like that," he replied just as easily. "We need someone who can access the database and find out what's going on."

"Why doesn't Merlin just do it? He's a skilled enough hacker." Merlin flushed and shook his head.

"I can't. I've taken a look and its way beyond me. There's literally no trace of anything."

"Camelot's network is extremely well protected. I've only managed to access it once before and I nearly got caught." Freya sipped her drink and looked at each man in turn, "I can't do it again without some kind of help."

"That's why I'm here," Lance paused, clearly still struggling with whether or not he could possibly trust this stranger. Deciding that he had no other choice, he pulled his laptop from his bag, "this is my work laptop. I have the highest level of clearance you can get at Camelot, it should help."

"Why would you risk this just for some snot-nosed rich bastard?" She asked, taking the laptop from Lance.

"Because," Gwaine said, joining in the conversation for the first time, "he's our friend and what Morgana is doing isn't right." Freya looked Gwaine up and down and chewed her lip ring.

"Fine, but it's going to take me some time."She finally agreed and Merlin felt his shoulders relax.

"That's ok, just not too long ok? I don't think we have a whole lot of time." Merlin said and she nodded.

"I'll see what I can do. I'll contact you when I find something." She said and began packing up her things, "this had better not be a set up though Dragoon or you're seriously going to regret it."

"It isn't," he assured her and she nodded once before saying goodnight and leaving. They watched her leave and when the door closed behind her, Lance put his head in his hands.

"We are so fucked!"

"No we're not," Merlin patted his shoulder, "she'll take care of looking into the technical side of things. The rest of us need to keep an eye on Morgana. Whatever she's doing, I'm betting that she has help and we need to figure out who."

"Someone needs to get close to her," Gwaine agreed, finishing off his drink.

"Kind of difficult. I mean she's Arthur's sister but she's never really been close to anyone except Leon." Lance reminded them and they all frowned, each trying to figure out a way to gain her trust and spy on her.

"Mordred," Gwaine finally said, "the two of them seem to be real friendly."

"That's true," Lance agreed and looked at Merlin, "if anyone knows what Morgana is doing, it'd be Mordred. He lives with her and works with her, I mean, he'd be the person to notice anything strange."

"Yea," Merlin nodded, "but Mordred is Mordred and not exactly the kind of person to just share shit with just anyone."

"Not just anyone mate, but he would with you."

"No, no way!" Merlin held up his hands, trying to stop Gwaine's train of thought.

"Oh come on mate!" Gwaine pressed, " We all know he fancies you. You'd be able to get him to tell you everything."

"No way! I'm not doing that." Merlin insisted. There was no way in hell that he could possibly do what Gwaine was suggesting.

"Why not?"

"Lots of reasons!"

"Like what?"

"Oh I don't know," he growled sarcastically, "For one, it's completely wrong to use a person like that! Two, it's Mordred which is just... no and Arthur would lose his shit!" He said before he could stop himself.

"Why would Arthur care?"Gwaine questioned and Merlin looked over at Lance for help but he only shrugged.

"Might as well tell him; we can obviously trust him."

"Tell me what?" Gwaine asked looking between the two of them.

"Arthur and I are together," Merlin said with a sigh. He wondered if the whole lot of Camelot would end up knowing. "We live together and have been together since last Christmas."

"Holy shit," Gwaine grinned, " So much for not dating in the work place. Does Uther know?"

"No! And he can't ever know! Obviously you can't say anything."

"Obviously, but still, just tell Arthur Mordred's your friend."

"I can't. Mordred will never just be my friend and Arthur knows that."

"But-"

"He's right Gwaine," Lance stepped in and said; "Mordred's feelings for Merlin would make it too suspicious if they suddenly became friendly and started spending time together." They all seemed to let out a collective sigh as they fell silent, trying to think of a way around it.

"Morgana doesn't trust me," Merlin finally said, "ever since I caught her in the office, she's been more distant with me."

"She's never liked me," Lance added, "I've always been too close to Arthur and Leon." They were quiet for a moment, waiting for Gwaine to comment on his relationship status with her and when he said nothing, the other two looked at him expectantly.

"Oh," he grinned when he caught on, "Well the Lady Morgana and I have a relationship of mutual respect." Merlin quirked his eyebrows.

"What does that mean?"

"It means my friends that out of the three of us, I'm the only one who has something Morgana wants."

"What's that?" Lance asked.

"Me," He replied with his best shit eating grin. Merlin and lance both burst out laughing.

"Come on Gwaine!" Lance shoved his shoulder.

"What? No woman can resist my devilish good looks and adoring charm." They both laughed harder, knowing all too well how true it was.

"Don't you think," Merlin said, catching his breath, "that she'll be a little suspicious if you suddenly start hitting on her?" Gwaine scoffed at him.

"I've been hitting on her since I met her," he reminded them.

"True," Lance agreed.

"Well what if she does turn you down?" It was Gwaine's turn to laugh.

"Oh Merlin, have some faith in me! No one that I've propositioned before has ever said no." Merlin smirked at him, was he really this cocky? "I've got two things going for me: my brilliant way with numbers and this face," He said pointing at himself. He wasn't wrong to believe he was attractive. In fact, Merlin frequently thought it wasn't fair that someone could be as sexy as Gwaine but he made up for it with his arrogance.

"I thought you were gay," Merlin suddenly remembered thinking about Gwaine's feelings for Percy.

"Ah, amore is amore," he said with a shrug and a lazy smile, "Making love is all that matters, not some label."

"I had no idea you were such a romantic." Lance teased and Gwaine punched him in the arm.

"Ok, but still, it's not right for you to use Morgana's feelings for you against her." Merlin said, adamant about not causing more damage.

"Who said anything about feelings?" Gwaine grinned, "I'm talking about lust and passion, not love and that shit."

"Right," he nodded, amazed how Gwaine could separate his feelings from his cock. Then again, Merlin wasn't so different after all; he used to do the same thing. It was just strange thinking about him with Morgana. "Ok well then, do what you do Gwaine and keep us updated."

"And if something happens and he can't get any information, then you will need to talk to Mordred." Lance said firmly and Merlin nodded.

"As a last resort."

"Last resort."

If Merlin had to get close to Mordred, he could only imagine the damage it would cause to him and Arthur's relationship. He wouldn't be able to explain to Arthur why he was doing what he was doing and inevitably, he would think there was something going on between them. And Merlin wasn't so sure that if he did end up spending a great deal amount of time with Mordred that something _wouldn't_ happen between them. Gwaine had better do a good job of seducing Morgana he thought.

o.O.o.O.o

Morgana was sitting at her desk, working on a new ad campaign, it was long past closing time but she was determined to not let her work ethic slip despite what she was doing when Gwaine knocked on her door.

"Hello love," he said with that annoyingly cocky smile of his.

"What do you want Gwaine?" She asked, annoyed but she couldn't help that her eyes lingers a little too long on his body. He seemed to notice and sauntered into the room, closing the door behind him.

"I thought you would enjoy a drink," he said holding up a bottle of wine and two glasses. He was wearing his usual black suit but had discarded his jacket and his tie was twisted from him roughly loosening it. His sleeves were rolled up to just under his elbows and his pants were slightly wrinkled from sitting at his desk all day. How he managed to make grungy business man look so damn sexy was beyond her. She looked up at him, looking into his chocolate brown eyes. His medium length hair was pushed back, falling slightly into his face as he looked down at her and poured them wine. She watched him interestedly. Gwaine was always teasing with her, flirting and she never minded. He was an attractive enough man that she wasn't bothered but she found it interesting that he was suddenly no longer teasing in his advances.

"That's a good wine," she pointed out, noticing the label.

"Hundred pound bottle," he said with a grin, "I should hope it's decent!" He handed her a glass and sat down across from her, sipping his own and giving her a look that made her blush.

"What are you doing here Gwaine?" She asked again, taking a sip of the deep red liquid. It was an incredible wine, full of body and delicious spice.

"Oh come now Morgana, don't pretend you haven't noticed," he said with a grin and loosened his tie some more. She narrowed her eyes at him and sat back in her chair, letting him have a look at her some more. She was wearing a low cut white blouse with a high waist black skirt with suspenders and her long black hair hung loosely about her shoulders. She crossed her leg over her other and sipped her wine. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Despite the well put-together appearance she gave off, she was not nearly as collected as she pretended to be. She fought the urge to shift uncomfortably under his smoldering gaze.

"Well Gwaine," she managed to say without giving away her nervousness, "rather bold of you, don't you think?"

"I like my chances," he replied easily and finished off his glass. "Why don't we get out of here?" He challenged and she raised her narrow brow at him. She finished off her glass and set it on her desk. Slowly, she stood up and grabbed her purse. She was pretty sure that she shouldn't be doing this but god it had been too long since she just let go and had some fun. Planning the destruction of Camelot was exhausting and she really just needed a good shag.

Gwaine grinned at her and led the way out. She followed him out, watching his way too sexy ass move and she felt the pleasant warmth of desire rushing through her body. She'd thought about Gwaine before and of course she flirted back but she never really gave it any consideration. The logical part of her was too busy questioning his motives to stop her from getting in his car and following him inside. It was too distracted telling her all the reasons why this wasn't a good idea to stop her from kissing him hard the moment the door closed. He shoved her up against the wall and kissed down her neck, his lips hungry and burning. She gasped at his forcefulness, delighted to be able to let go as she pulled off his coat. They kissed their way down the hallway as he led her to his bedroom, shedding their clothing as they went.

He shoved her onto his bed and grinned as he looked down at her. She felt her cheeks flush, the way he was looking at her in her bra and underwear was just so intense that it made her heart hammer in her chest. She licked her lips as she looked him up and down. He had helped her in undressing himself and she looked at him, admiring his toned body. Her eyes greedily took in every inch of him and she quivered with desire. He knelt down in front of her and pulled her hips to him, running his tongue up her thigh as his hands reached up and pulled her thong off. She watched as he gave her one last smirk that said he had been right before he brought her hips to his mouth and everything else disappeared.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Morgana woke the next morning to the sound of Gwaine's deep snoring. They lay separated, barely even touching except for Gwaine's arm that was lazily thrown across her stomach. He lay on his stomach, his head turned away from her and she lay on her back. She looked at him, wondering just how big of a mistake she had made last night. She knew she shouldn't be getting involved with another co-worker. She mentally laughed at the idea of getting involved with Gwaine. It was impossible to get _involved_ with Gwaine. He was just like every other typical man Morgana had in her life-selfish, arrogant, and incapable of giving a damn about anyone but himself. No, she wouldn't become involved with Gwaine, he only served one purpose. She smiled; he was good at it too, very, very good. He was probably the best she'd ever had when she thought about it. No, he wasn't worth any emotion; the only thing he was worth was to satisfy the itch she couldn't scratch. She had closed her heart off to anyone after Leon. There was no point in love. The world in which she lived in would not allow her to survive if she gave into it. She had always been a little more than reserved with her emotions though and people all her life felt like they had a right to comment on it. Ice queen they called her, heartless, a bitch and cold. She always thought that being that way was the only way to survive living with Uther and working at Camelot and she'd been right. Anything less was weakness and her father had proven to her just how much someone could use her weaknesses against her. After Leon she had forced herself to be even colder. She didn't care that people called her cold or cruel, she was _strong_. She was stronger than she'd ever been. There was a price to such strength but she would pay it willing for the rest of her life.

Gwaine stirred in his sleep and rolled his head, opening his eyes as he looked at her. She watched him with the mild interest of a scientist.

"Morning," he mumbled. She said nothing back, only looked at him, letting her eyes trail down his naked body. He was smiling when her eyes managed to make their way back to his face. Without saying anything more, he pulled her to him and made love to her again. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to walk afterwards.

o.O.o.O.o

"Mission's on track," Gwaine said with a retarded grin on his face as he bit into an apple. Merlin looked up and rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to think about Morgana and Gwaine.

"Good to hear it, keep the details to yourself though." He said with a shudder and Gwaine laughed, his voice echoing in the hallway. He smiled after he left and went back to his work, trying to concentrate on the contract he was reviewing for Arthur. He really need to get this work done but he couldn't stop worrying about what Morgana was up to and that she would catch onto them. What would happen if she did? He wondered how far she would go to protect herself. Considering she was already committing fraud and prepared to blame it on someone else, Merlin didn't think there was much more that she wouldn't do. And who was helping her? He chewed his lip as he thought. Despite the fact that Morgana always seemed to be the center of attention, she was never really friends with anyone. Everyone knew her, most people liked her well enough but no one could really say that they were good friends with her. So who would be willing to risk everything to take on Camelot? How much had she promised them? The only people Merlin ever saw Morgana genuinely interested in were Leon, Gwen, Mordred and Morgause. He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. He needed to focus, he tried to remind himself.

o.O.o.O.o

Gwaine continued to sleep with Morgana for the next two weeks. Though he did enjoy himself, Morgana was by no means an unattractive woman and she definitely was a lot more fun in bed, but he learned nothing about her. She never wanted to talk when they were together, which Gwaine couldn't blame her, honestly who would rather talk when they could be kissing him? The most he got out of her was a couple of nights that she couldn't meet up with him because she was 'working late' although Merlin and Lance had taken on the task of not leaving the office until she did and she always left just after Gwaine. They considered following her but they were too surprised the first time and unprepared on the second. However it was agreed that the next time, they would follow her and see who it was she was meeting up with. There were also interesting rumors floating around the office about Arthur that they all noticed were not so flattering. They started to get to the point where even Arthur was noticing them and lashing out at anyone who made any comments under their breath when he walked by. They were small rumors and big rumors, varying from ridiculous things like Arthur having some horrible STI to Arthur trying to get Morgana fired and that he had tried to kill his father a couple years ago. They were all not true as far as Merlin was concerned and he was pretty sure he knew who was behind them. There were always rumors, no matter where a person worked and being the boss, it was perfectly normal for there to be rumors about Arthur in the past. Except these rumors all seemed to start up around the time Morgana had come back.

Freya called Merlin two weeks after their meeting to tell him that she had found nothing, which he did not find very reassuring but she seemed to think that finding _nothing_ was _something_ and was pretty excited about it. That night after Morgana had left the office, the three of them got together for drinks again although they went to Lance's house instead of the usual bar. It was a Friday night and too likely that someone from work would be there. Arthur was not too impressed with Merlin's sudden bromance with Gwaine and Lance but Uther had insisted that he and Morgana have dinner so he couldn't really stop Merlin.

"So Freya called this afternoon," Merlin told them as they sat down at the table with a deck of cards. Gwaine was dealing them each a hand for poker, informing them that they would not sit around the table and 'jabber like a bunch of girls'.

"She find anything?" Lance asked, opening beer bottles and setting one in front of each of them, except he set two for Gwaine. Merlin wondered what his liver must look like and shuddered.

"No, but she seems to think that means there's something to find."

"How does that work?" Lance frowned.

"She's right, if things are _too_ clean or make _too much sense_ there's usually something wrong," Gwaine said, tossing the rest of the cards in the middle, "taking her a bit long to find anything though."

"I know, and I'm getting the feeling like time is starting to run out."

"What do you mean?" Gwaine asked, looking a bit more than a little concerned.

"I don't know, I just have this feeling that whatever Morgana has planned, she's going to do it soon." Merlin sighed and looked at his cards. Shit this was a shitty hand.

"You find anything out from Morgana?" Lance asked and Gwaine just shook his head.

"The woman's an animal," he said with a dirty smile on his face that made both Merlin and Lance grimace, "she never wants to talk."

"What about looking in her planner or something?" Merlin suggested, "I mean I bet she goes to the bathroom at some point. Couldn't you just, I don't know, take a peak?"

"I have mate, and there's nothing there. She's either doing a good job of covering her tracks or she's not behind it." Gwaine said and lit a cigarette. Lance glared and quickly snatched it away, tossing it into Gwaine's beer. "Hey!" He yelled, "tosser."

Merlin ignored the usual squabbling that followed and wondered if he had been wrong about Morgana. He immediately shook his head, no he wasn't wrong, it was definitely her. He wasn't sure how he knew, or why he was so sure, but every fiber in his body was telling him he was right.

"We're getting nowhere," Lance said once Gwaine had finally given up on trying to smoke in the house and went back to his cards. They weren't really paying attention to the game at all.

"I know," Merlin said tiredly.

"I think it's time for plan b," Lance said gently, looking over at Merlin apprehensively.

"I agree," Gwaine added not so gently.

"I think it's a bad idea," Merlin really did not want to have to do this. It'd been nearly three months since Mordred had quit and gone to work with Morgana. In that time, he hardly ever saw him except at meetings they both attended or in the halls. Merlin tired to be civil for the first while but it became very clear that Mordred's feelings for him had either not changed at all or had turned into hatred, he wasn't sure. It was hard to tell with Mordred what exactly he was thinking. "Besides, it's been a really long time since he and I even talked to each other. How am I going to start now?"

"I don't know, maybe we should invite him out for drinks or something?" Lance suggested and Gwaine nodded.

"We could have a poker night or something." Gwaine added.

"You guys are forgetting that Arthur is going to need to be there for any big night we have, we can't just _not_ invite him and I can't get close to Mordred when Arthur is there looking over my shoulder." He shook his head; this wasn't going to work at all.

"So we plan it for a night Arthur isn't available. Oh look, Arthur's not free tonight," Gwaine grinned and pulled out his phone. Before Merlin or Lance could protest, he was already calling Mordred.

"Hello?"

"Mordred!" Gwaine shouted in his usual overly friendly manner, "How are you?"

"Fine..." Merlin could hear Mordred's quiet and confused response.

"You busy? You should join us in a poker game!" Gwaine fell silent for a couple moments and Merlin couldn't hear what Mordred was saying but Gwaine just shook his head, "nah come on mate! It'll be lots of fun and Lance has lots of games to play on the Xbox." He tried to convince Mordred and Merlin had a feeling that booze and Xbox games were not the way to persuade him but he said nothing. After a few more comments Gwaine hung up and Lance and Merlin looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" Lance said finally and Gwaine just beamed at him.

"He's headed over."

o.O.o.O.o

"This is not a good idea," Merlin said for what felt like the thousandth time when the doorbell rang and Gwaine jumped up to answer it. Of course he had been right. The moment Mordred saw Merlin sitting at the table his entire expression changed and Merlin felt his insides go cold. How could he look at him with such anger? Merlin felt the familiar sting in his gut as it twisted under his breath taking stare.

"Hey," Merlin managed to say and Mordred just gave a curt nod in response. He sat down, clearly regretting his decision to come. Merlin wondered how much he hated Gwaine right now for convincing him to come.

"So, what are we playing?" Mordred finally asked when it appeared no one was going to say or do anything. This comment though appeared to be the right thing to say because they all immediately jumped into action. Lance jumped up and went to get Mordred a drink. Gwaine promptly began explaining the rules for Texas Hold 'em and Merlin managed to excuse himself to the bathroom. Mordred watched Emyrs leave as Gwaine prattled on. He looked back at Gwaine and had to resist the urge beat him into a bloody pulp. Why had Merlin even invite him out after all this time? He was obviously avoiding him and now suddenly he wanted him to hang out? And especially with Gwaine and Lance. What game was he playing at?

They played a few rounds of poker but decided after Gwaine had repeatedly beaten all of them (though they were all convinced he had cheated and since he wasn't denying it, he most likely did) they decided it would be best to move onto a game he couldn't cheat at. This led to several rounds of Mario Kart and other games. Eventually, Gwaine and Lance ended up in a sword fight on the WII while Mordred and Merlin sat back and watched. Well, Merlin watched and Mordred watched Merlin. He was still trying to figure it out and was growing increasingly more frustrated. He knew that Merlin was aware that he was staring at him but yet he refused to look back at him. He was so infuriating!

By the time everyone was ready to call it a night, Gwaine was too pissed to drive and had successfully made his way into Lance's bed to pass out.

"Guess we should go," Merlin said to Lance.

"Probably," he nodded and Merlin looked over at Mordred who was already in his shoes and jacket on.

"Do you mind giving me a lift?" He asked and Mordred hesitated for moment.

"Ok," he said finally. They said goodnight and got in Mordred's car and headed back to Merlin's flat.

"Oh, I moved," he said once he realized Mordred was driving in the wrong direction. He quickly gave him his new address and Mordred did not miss the fact that it was Arthur's.

"You live with him now?" He asked a few moments later and Merlin nodded.

"Yea"

"When did that happen?"

"Few months ago," he said quietly, chancing a glance at Mordred. He noticed his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

"Good," he said calmly, "I'm glad. I'm happy to see you happy Emrys." He said and Merlin's stomach flipped. He had forgotten what it sounded like to hear Mordred call him Emrys. His unique accent made it sound so different and then his tone on top of that. Merlin shook his head clear it, stop it, he told himself.

"Thanks Mordred," he smiled weakly over at him, "do you think that maybe... I don't know, we could hang out? I miss having you around the office."

"George not making your tea strong enough?" Mordred teased, a smirk tilting the corner of his mouth just a little and Merlin smiled.

"Mordred, he is so, so dull," he said with a laugh, "honestly, he is so irritating! And oh my god, he cannot take a joke! He never lets me get away with teasing Arthur. I'll call him a prat or clotpole and George will make this weird squeak crossed with a squawk and then start saying how fantastic Arthur is. Honestly, Arthur does not need anyone else telling him how wonderful he is, his head is as fat as his waist already!" He joked and was wonderfully surprised when Mordred actually laughed.

"It must be bad," he said with a grin and Merlin couldn't help the stupid grin that was plastered across his own face. It was good to hear Mordred laugh again.

"It is. I miss you," he said gently and Mordred's smile faded.

"I can't Emrys; I can't handle spending every hour of every day with you two. I can't watch you two together it... it hurts too much." He explained honestly and Merlin nodded, he really did understand.

"I know... maybe," he bit his lip and looked out the window. "Maybe we could hang out outside of work you know? We could do stuff like go places, we wouldn't have to be you know... alone all the time but it'd be nice to spend time with you." Mordred frowned and tightened his grip some more.

"I don't think Arthur would like that very much."

"He doesn't have to know..." Merlin's words nearly made Mordred drive off the road.

"You would lie to him to hang out with me?" He asked, looking over at him with doubt.

"If I had to, yea, I would. Look Mordred, I liked spending time with you and I'd like to again. Maybe we could give the whole friends thing another shot?" He asked, nearly pleading with Mordred.

"I don't know."

"There's this poetry reading this weekend that I think you'd like," Merlin suggested, suddenly remembering the flyer he'd seen at the book store. "We could go and maybe have lunch afterwards. It's Sunday." Mordred pulled up to the curb of Arthur's apartment building and looked over at Merlin.

"I'll think about it." He promised and Merlin grinned at him and he felt his heart melt. Why did Merlin have to confuse him so much?

"Great, I'll text you!" He said quickly and got out of the car. Mordred watched him walk inside and sighed heavily. As always, he would go as far as Merlin allowed him until it either became too hard to control himself or Merlin finally gave into him.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

It was warm and soft and sent so much pleasure through Merlin he wanted to scream. He moaned, shifting in his sleep. He wasn't sure what he was dreaming about, there didn't seem to be any pictures, just the warm feeling around his cock and the pleasant sucking.

_Wait_ he thought and opened his eyes, this wasn't a dream. He blinked several times and then looked down to find a mop of blonde hair bobbing up and down. He grinned and moaned as Arthur groaned. Merlin bit his lip, letting out a loud moan of pleasure as he came hard into his mouth, gasping as Arthur continued to suck and swallow until there was nothing left but the lingering buzzing of his orgasm.

"Good morning," Merlin finally panted and Arthur grinned up at him. He pulled himself up high enough to wrap his arms around Merlin's stomach and rest his chin just above his belly button.

"Morning," he beamed and Merlin ran his fingers over the crinkles around his eyes as he smiled.

"What was that for?" He asked, unable to keep the adoring look from his face.

"I missed you," he answered and pressed his lips to the soft skin covering Merlin's ribs. He kissed him lightly, letting his mouth roam across his torso. Merlin closed his eyes and sighed happily, it was just too much to have Arthur with him like this.

"I love you," he whispered and pulled Arthur up to kiss his lips. Arthur greeted his kiss with his own lips, their mouths twisting together in a heated embrace.

"I love you too," Arthur breathed, nipping at Merlin's ear and then buried his face in his neck. Merlin wrapped his arms around his shoulders and legs around his waist and drew in a deep breath. How did he get so lucky? How was it possible that someone like Arthur even noticed him?

"You're never leaving," he stated and Arthur laughed against his neck making Merlin squirm.

"But food," he said and tried to pull away but Merlin clung on even tighter. Arthur laughed and tried to pull his arms from around him but Merlin just shook his head.

"Nope, not letting go."

"I guess I'll just have to manage," Arthur smiled and with a bit of effort, stood up. Merlin clung to the front of him like a baby monkey and they nearly collapsed in a fit of laughter. He continued to hold onto him and Arthur marched out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen. "Fuck, you're like a little spider monkey," he said, attempting to shake him off but not trying too hard. It was far too amusing to look at the full grown man wrapped around him and clinging on so tightly.

"I told you, I'm not letting go." Merlin just shook his head and rested it on Arthur's shoulder.

"Alright, alright," he said, feigning surrender. He walked over to the bar stool and held Merlin over it. "I will just have to resort to extreme measures then." And with that, he began to tickle Merlin's ribs until he was squealing and fell onto the chair.

"Ahhh you're horrible!" He joked, laughing as Arthur's unrelenting fingers dug at his ribs.

"Make me breakfast," Arthur said, not really asking but willing to torture Merlin via tickling until he agreed.

"Fine!" He shouted, nearly falling backwards in attempt to get away from the fingers of death. "I'll make us breakfast," he laughed and Arthur finally pulled away. He could barely catch his breath. Arthur watched him as he moved around the kitchen, pulling out dishes and food as he began to cook. He couldn't help himself from smiling as he watched Merlin. He loved him so much, his stupid little idiot.

"I'll get it," Arthur said as the phone rang. Merlin just nodded and continued to hum to himself. "Hello?" He heard Arthur say, swaying to the music in his head. When he realized that it was a little too quiet he turned around. The jug of milk slipped from his hand as he looked at Arthur's ashen face.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" He asked in a panic and Arthur blinked and stumbled. Merlin quickly ran to his side, helping him sit on the bar stool. "Arthur..." he was terrified, Arthur's was shaking all over and seemed to be in some kind of shock.

"My father..." he whispered and Merlin searched his face for some kind of answer.

"Is your father ok? Has something happened?" Arthur shook his head.

"No... he's dead." He finally said and Merlin stared at him in disbelief.

"What? How? When?" He asked, this wasn't computing. Arthur and Morgana had just been at his manor yesterday, he was fine unless there was an accident.

"Heart attack..." He mumbled and Merlin frowned. "He's had a bad heart for a few years... been on medication... we kept it quiet, didn't want anyone to know but..."

"Oh Arthur," Merlin pulled Arthur to him in an attempt to comfort him.

"I need to go... I need to..." he stood up suddenly and grabbed his keys.

"Arthur wait!"

"No, I'm sorry Merlin, we'll do breakfast tomorrow. I have to get to the manor, there's going to be press-"

"I understand but... you're naked. You'll want to get dressed," He pointed out with a sad smile and Arthur looked down at himself and realized he was telling the truth.

"Right," he stood rooted to the floor though, as if he had forgotten how to move. Merlin's heart broke as he watched him. He was slightly surprised by the fact that he was not at all sad Uther was dead but he was sad for Arthur. Despite all of Uther's failings, he was still Arthur's father and Arthur loved him and he would Merlin to help him through this.

"Here," Merlin gently took his hand and led him into the bedroom. He helped him get dressed in his most appropriate suit. "I'll drive you," he said once both of them were dressed.

"You can't..."

"You're in no state to drive Arthur," Merlin took the keys from him and led him to the elevator.

"Ok," he nodded, unable to argue with Merlin and still too shocked to do anything else but trust Merlin to get him where he needed to be.

"I can call Percy. This is something he would deal with right? I mean the press and all that?" He asked, pulling out his phone and looking at Arthur for confirmation. He only nodded once and Merlin called Percy. He asked him to get the rest of the board together and to meet at the Pendragon residence.

An hour later, Merlin was pulling up to the house. The driveway was full of police cars and the press was already there, intruding on this private moment. He hated them for Arthur, how could they be so insensitive? Arthur and Merlin rushed into the house, pushing past the people who lingered outside the door. Stewart opened the door for them and pulled them inside, shouting angrily at the leeches who tried to push past and snap pictures. Inside the house was eerily quiet. Arthur shook off his wet jacket and ran his hand through his hair that was damp from the rain outside.

"The Lady Morgana is in the sitting room," Stewart said, taking both their jackets and gesturing for them to make their way inside. Merlin followed Arthur shyly, not sure of his place in this situation except that he knew he needed to be by his side.

"Arthur," Morgana's voice broke as Arthur came into the room and renewed tears fell down her glass cheeks. Arthur pulled her into his arms and hugged her, the tears would not come and Merlin knew they would not come until they were alone and no one else could see him.

"What happened?" He asked finally, pulling her away and they sat on the couch together.

"We were having breakfast and... and..." she hiccupped, "he just... collapsed. He died before the ambulance could get here." She cried and Arthur's jaw twitched. Merlin couldn't help but wonder just how broken up Morgana really was or if this was just an act. Would it be easier now, for her to do what she needed to do now that Uther was gone?

"I've called the board to meet us here, we need to take care of Camelot," he said coldly and Merlin felt a shiver wash over him.

"Arthur our father is _dead!_ Who cares about Camelot?" Morgana cried, glaring at her brother.

"Our father cared about Camelot," he replied quickly, "and the death of the owner and acting CEO could be the end of Camelot if it's not managed carefully." Merlin shook his head, for once he agreed with Morgana. Who the fuck cared about business at a time like this? But Arthur was right, as always, and a part of him admired Arthur for his strength.

"How can you be so callus?" She asked bitterly and Arthur glared at her.

"Because I don't have time to be upset right now! Somebody has to make sure everything will be ok. There are lot of things that will need to be done. While we're waiting for everyone, can you please tell me exactly what happened?" He asked and Merlin could tell he was barely holding it together despite the very strong appearance he was giving off.

"When he collapsed, I called the ambulance but he was already dead when they got here. They said there was nothing they could have done, that it looked like he'd had a major heart attack. They called the police and coroner and they just left with...with... the body" She explained quietly.

"Why didn't you call me right away?"

"I was too shocked, I wasn't thinking," she shook her head, "I called you just as they were leaving, I just... I'm sorry." He nodded and pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through this Morgana," he said gently stroking her hair.

"Sire, Percival and the rest are here." Stewart announced from the doorway and the rest of the board members filed into the room. Lance immediately hugged Arthur and the others shook hands, offering him their condolences. Morgause hugged Morgana and Merlin noticed that they seemed to be a lot friendlier than the last time he saw them together. They whispered to each other in hushed tones, glancing at the others before Morgause noticed Merlin watching them. They separated then and Merlin wondered if this was the other people Morgana had helping her. It didn't make sense but then again, neither did the entire situation.

"Leon is on the next flight," Lance informed him and he nodded.

"Thank you."

"I have your father's will," Lance said, "I'll need to go through it before we can discuss it. Do you know what kind of arrangements he wanted?" He asked solemnly.

"He wanted a private funeral." Arthur said and looked over to Percy.

"Percy can you handle the press?" Morgana asked and Percy nodded.

"Of course, what should I tell them?" He asked, straightening his clothes.

"Tell them he had a heart attack and whatever else but that we would like to be left alone to grieve. We will have a press conference in a couple of days, schedule it for Wednesday," Arthur paused to clear his throat, "the funeral will be closed to the public but we will have a viewing and we'll let them know when we have more information." Percy nodded and left the room. The rest sat down in the various seats around the room and Stewart reappeared with tea and coffee for everyone. He gave Merlin's hand a gentle squeeze and a meaningful look that seemed to say he was glad that he was here for Arthur. Merlin smiled sadly and sat in the back, listening to the others discuss what would happen next.

"Lance, what did my father say about what would happen in the event of his death?" Arthur asked a few minutes later and Lance shifted uncomfortably.

"In the event of Uther's death, he appointed you Arthur as the acting CEO, assuming that the board would not disagree with that decision." He explained, only glancing at Morgana once to judge her reaction. She was not surprised, but then why would she be Merlin thought. She had to have known that that's what would happen.

"Ok, what do we need to do?" He asked, looking at the older members of the board, hoping someone would give him some advice.

"You're already doing it," Morgause said, "you've sent out your media rep to handle the press and you've called all of us here. You just need to decide what to do from here. When should we review his will? Will Camelot close its doors on Monday? How will Camelot grieve in the public eye and how will it respond? Are you going to make a donation to the Heart and Stroke foundation? What action are you going to take to prevent this from happening?"

"Prevent it from happening?" Arthur frowned, "my father was seventy eight years old. He lived a long, good life and was in perfect health except for his heart which was not the result of an unhealthy lifestyle."

"Then you need to make sure that's clear. You need to preset a strong unified front and you need to reassure shareholders that Uther's death, though sad, will not affect Camelot's stock. You need to convince everyone out there that you, Arthur Pendragon, are ready to take control of Camelot and that you can continue to lead it." Morgause directed and Merlin wondered again how it was she was even a board member although she did seem to know her stuff.

"You're right, thank you." Arthur nodded and looked at the rest of them, "I know that I'm young but my father has been preparing me for this my whole life. I would like to keep Camelot open Monday and Tuesday, I think that will placate the shareholders, show them that just because Uther's gone it doesn't mean we won't do our jobs. Also, on Monday I'd like to address all the employees and we should set up a meeting with the head of all the departments. I know almost everyone but there's still some that I don't know. I think I should introduce myself as quick as possible. We should offer some kind of... grief counselling or something... or open up a board room for people to pay their respects, maybe have a few candles that people can light or whatever." He directed and Merlin smiled, watching Arthur take on the leadership role so easily. He was so strong, even with the loss of his father so fresh; he was able to hold himself together. "Merlin can you call George? I'll need his help in making the funeral arrangements."

"Sire," Stewart knocked gently on the wooden doorframe.

"Yes Stewart?"

"The police would like a word with you," he said gently and two police officers walked into the room.

"We're very sorry for your loss Mr. Pendragon," one said, shaking Arthur's hand.

"Thank you. What can you tell me?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest and looking at the two with an iron gaze.

"Your father appears to have had a stroke but we'll be conducting an autopsy to confirm cause of death. Once that's been determined, the body will be released to you." He explained, "We were just wondering if there was anything we needed to take into consideration, any religious beliefs that we should be aware of?"

Arthur shook his head, "no, my father was an atheist. How long will this take?"

"It should only take twenty four hours. Is there a funeral home you would like the body to be released to?" Arthur looked to Lance for the answer to this question and Lance quickly reached into his briefcase and pulled out a file. He scanned it for a moment before answering.

"Thomas B Treacy Funeral Directors," he answered and the police nodded.

"Can you do anything about the press?" Arthur asked, "Set up some kind of barrier or something?"

"We have sir, and I'll have a couple cars stay here until the circus quiets down." He assured and Arthur thanked him. Once he left the room, Arthur turned back and took his seat again. Merlin called George whose response was to break down into tears. It took Merlin another half hour to convince George to pull himself together and get to the manor right away.

"When do you want to have the funeral?" Nimueh asked.

"I don't know, I would say Friday? Is that too far away?" He asked, looking at Merlin for support.

"I think that'd be appropriate," Merlin answered him, "Have the viewing for the public Wednesday and Thursday and then the formal funeral Friday." Everyone was staring at Merlin and no doubt, they were all wondering why this junior staff member was even here at such an important meeting. Arthur held out his hand, silently asking Merlin to come sit with him, which he obeyed but he felt uncomfortable under the gaze of everyone else.

"Does that sound reasonable to everyone else?" Arthur asked, looking around at each member.

"That seems appropriate." Morgause agreed.

"Ok," Arthur drew in a deep breath, "what else?"

"We should discuss your relationship with Merlin," Nimueh said bluntly and Merlin nearly broke his neck his head snapped up so fast to look at her with wild eyes.

"What does my relationship with Merlin have to do with anything?" Arthur asked and Nimueh laughed a cruel laugh.

"Everything Arthur. For starts, he's a man which if the press gets wind of you being gay will be enough of a disaster as is but the fact that he's _your employee_, well Uther will be rolling over in his grave."

"How dare you-" Morgana started angrily but Arthur held up his hand.

"No, Morgana, she's right." He looked at Merlin with such a horrible sadness Merlin's breath caught, "it would not be good for Camelot if we were to become public right now. I have to think of the company and the legacy my father spent his life building. If I come across like I'm trying to change that too fast, it could be disastrous." Merlin nodded, he understood, he knew Uther's death changed noting, at least not right away.

"It's ok, I understand." He patted Arthur's knee reassuringly.

"That being said," Arthur said, eyes still on Merlin, "if any of you think that you have a right to comment on my personal life and tell me who I can and cannot share my life with," he looked up with fire in his eyes, "then you will find yourself sadly mistaken. I appreciate all of your counsel and support but I expect that no one will cause any problems because of this." He said firmly and Merlin blinked in surprise, as did Morgana. He had basically just said that he wouldn't come out right now but that he had full intentions of doing so in the future. Merlin gulped, wondering just how ready he was for that himself.

**AN:** woohoo! Uther's dead!


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

_"The business community was shocked today when news of Uther Pendragon, president and CEO of the multinational company Camelot Inc was declared dead this morning at his residence. According to Percival Hopper, spokesman for Camelot Inc, Uther Pendragon died from a major heart attack. Sources say that the heart attack was the result of a heart condition the Pendragon family was trying to keep from the public. Arthur Pendragon, his son, has been appointed acting CEO and it is believed that he will be stepping in to take his father's place in the corporate world._

_"Camelot is deeply saddened by the news about our colleague and leader. This comes as a great shock to all of us within the Camelot family and is felt most profoundly by everyone one of us but no more than by his two children, Arthur and Morgana Pendragon. We will be sharing more information once we have had the opportunity to further understand the family's wishes." _Percival's voice rang out from the evening news as they cut to the manor where Percy was standing outside giving his speech. The screen shifted back to the reporters in the news room.

_"A press conference will be held on Monday where we hope to find out more about what will become of Camelot. Tom let's take a look at how this has affects their stocks_" Tom, the business reporter for Chanel 4 News came on the screen and began to talk about how the death of any CEO of a company as large as this one affects company stock. Merlin sat on the couch, watching as Arthur stood beside him, arms folded across his chest and remote in hand as they watched. The news that the stocks had gone down caused Arthur to curse loudly and go to the bar to make himself a drink.

It was eleven at night, the board members having left hours ago and the only ones who remained were the tabloid press members who were still camped out in the driveway. Morgana sat in her chair, staring blankly at the wall and not listening to the TV. Stewart moved around the room like a shadow, cleaning, dusting and bringing in food and drinks, gently reminding everyone to eat and drink. Merlin watched the screen, looking at the fluctuating graphs that indicated the losses to Camelot.

"Arthur, it's late, you should try to get some sleep." He said after a few minutes of watching Arthur staring at the screen and drinking a full glass of scotch.

"I can't, there's too much to do. I can't believe this," he waved his hand at the TV, "I should have had the press conference tomorrow not on Monday. I should call Percy-"

"No, Monday is early enough. You need to take care of yourself-"

"I need to take care of Camelot!"

"I know! And you can't take care of Camelot if you don't take care of yourself. Besides, it would be cold of you if you had the conference now. Your father just died, you need to take time to grieve. If you get on camera and act too strong too soon, it will end up doing more damage than good." Merlin said, trying to convince Arthur to see his point. He nodded and smiled at Merlin.

"You're right; of course you're right Merlin. Thank you, for being here and helping me." He said gently and squeezed his shoulder. Merlin smiled up at him and took his hand, kissing it gently.

"You should go to bed now."

"I'm not tried."

"I know but come on, it's late. Morgana, you should try to sleep as well." Merlin said to her and it took a moment for her to react, he almost didn't think she heard him.

"Thank you Merlin... I," she swallowed, "I'm going to make a phone call and then I will go to bed." She stood up slowly and disappeared into the next room. Merlin watched her leave, wondering who she was calling but he didn't want to think too much on her right now, Arthur needed him more.

"Come on," he stood up and pulled Arthur with him to the direction of his room.

"I still have a lot to do," Arthur protested and Merlin sighed.

"Arthur there is nothing else you can do tonight. Tomorrow we will sit down with Lance and go over his will, but until then, there's nothing else to be done except rest. You don't have to sleep, you just need to at least come with me and lay in bed." He persuaded and Arthur finally gave in, nodding.

"I'm just going to make another drink."

"You go shower, I'll have Stewart make us some tea and another drink for you." He instructed and Arthur nodded, walking out into the hallway. Merlin watched him go and then went looking for Stewart.

"Stewart," he said once he managed to find him in the kitchen. The old man was bent over the counter, crying silently to himself. "Oh Stewart," Merlin quickly went to him and hugged him tightly. At first he didn't react, too surprised by the sudden embrace but after a bit of coaxing from Merlin, he let the young man hold him and offer him the only comfort he would be given.

"Thank you Mr. Emrys, you're very kind." He said once he pulled away and wiped at his tears.

"Merlin, please," Merlin corrected him though he knew he wouldn't call him by his first name. Stewart was very traditional and never strayed from the formal titles he always used.

"What can I do for you?" Stewart just asked, ignoring Merlin's request.

"Do you have anything here that could help Arthur sleep? I... he's not going to sleep without some help." Merlin asked.

"I have chamomile tea sir," Stewart suggested and Merlin shook his head.

"No, well yes that would be nice to but something a little stronger maybe?"

"Mr. Pendragon often suffered from periods of insomnia," Stewart said as he moved to the cupboard and produced a pill bottle, "he was prescribed these to take when he was not able to sleep, is this what you are looking for?" He handed the bottle to Merlin and he read the print, _Zolpidem._

"That would work," he nodded and smiled, "how much should he take?"

"I should think half a tablet would suffice."

"Great, thank you. I don't think he's going to take it willingly though, I'll mix it in his drink." Merlin said and Stewart took the bottle from him.

"I will take care of it, Mr. Emrys. Shall bring the tea and scotch to his bedroom?" he asked and Merlin nodded.

"Yes, thank you Stewart." He smiled and walked out of the kitchen. He nearly got lost trying to find Arthur's bedroom but managed to find his way before he had to call Arthur to come find him.

"How was your shower?" He asked when Arthur stepped out of the bathroom, one towel around his waist and another he used to rub against his wet hair.

"Fine," he said tiredly and tossed the towel onto the bathroom floor. Merlin inwardly groaned, why was he so incapable of hanging up his towels?

"Come lay down," Merlin patted the bed. He turned down the covers and undressed, slipping into the Egyptian cotton sheets. Arthur slipped in beside him and held open his arms so that Merlin could slip in beside him and rest his head on his shoulder.

"I'm not tired," he repeated and Merlin patted his chest.

"I know. Stewart is making us some tea and another glass of scotch for you. You don't need to sleep, just sit here with me and we can talk or just think or whatever." He said trying to let Arthur know that he it would be ok if he needed to fall apart now. He understood what it was like to lose a parent. Even though Merlin wouldn't consider Uther and Arthur close, not nearly as close as he had been with his own mother but they had been close in their own way.

"I don't think I know what to do if I stop," Arthur confessed and pressed his forehead against the top of Merlin's head.

"I know what you mean," Merlin softly comforted. "I imagine you feel like you need to keep it together and you do, but not inside these doors. In here, Arthur, it is just you and I and I'll be here to help put you back together." Arthur's hand reached down and lifted Merlin's face to his own and he kissed him sweetly.

"Don't ever leave me; I don't think I could do this without you." He whispered and Merlin cupped his hand to his cheek as the tears he had been holding back finally made their way down his cheeks.

"I will never leave," Merlin promised, kissing his tears and holding him to him. Arthur cried quietly as Merlin stroked his hair, whispering soothing words to him. Stewart silently came into the room, barely noticed by the two men on the bed as he placed the tray of drinks on the night table. Merlin thanked him and handed the glass of scotch to Arthur who swallowed it back.

"Did you know my father only told me he loved me once?" Arthur asked suddenly, looking at Merlin, his broken heart so clearly visible in his eyes.

"No," he shook his head, "I know he loved you very much even if he didn't always express it."

"Wanna know when he told me?" He asked, his eyes growing dark, "after I made my first million for the company."

"Oh Arthur," Merlin sighed, leave it to Uther to be so incredibly tactless.

"I still don't know if he only said it because I didn't fail or if he actually meant it..." he mumbled and Merlin pushed his hair back.

"Arthur, your father loved you very much. He loved both you and Morgana very deeply despite that he never showed it. He loved you in the only way he knew how," he affirmed.

"I don't know..." Arthur shook his head and sighed heavily, "wow, I guess I really am tired." He mumbled his eyes drooping as his head lulled to the side.

"Whoa those work fast," Merlin whispered to himself as he tucked Arthur into the blankets. "Get some sleep Arthur," he muttered. He lay with him until his breathing turned deep and he began to snore. Quietly, Merlin extracted himself and got up, slipping into his jeans. He shut out the lights and slipped from the bedroom soundlessly. The hallway was dark, only the light at the end of the hall illuminated the way. He squinted into the darkness, this castle was so damn dark he thought rather annoyed. Slowly he managed to make it to the end of the hall and find the staircase. He needed to take some time to think, to just be alone and process everything. As he slipped outside into the back gardens, he thought about what this would mean for his relationship with Arthur. Arthur's amount of workload would significantly increase, to the point where Merlin wasn't sure if he'd get to see him if he didn't find a way to be his assistant again. And what about Morgana? He sighed heavily. Morgana might be an even bigger danger now that Uther was no longer in the picture.

He picked his way along the path, carefully avoiding stray pebbles and mentally scolding himself for not putting on his shoes.

"Hello," a voice said and Merlin let out a squawk of surprise as Mordred stepped out of the shadows.

"Mordred," he said in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"Morgana called me," he said with no further explanation, none was needed. Mordred was the only person Morgana really trusted as far as Merlin knew. It only made sense that she would want him here for her.

"It was kind of you to come," he smiled and found his way to a bench tucked under a weeping willow. The lamp posts that stood around the garden barely penetrated the darkness of the trees but Merlin didn't care. He had discovered this spot the last time he'd stayed here and had fallen in love with it. It was the most peaceful, beautiful spot on the entire grounds.

"Morgana is a friend, of course I came." Mordred replied and sat down beside him, not looking at him but looking around the garden, his icy eyes taking everything in. Merlin watched him for a moment before looking away.

"So... so much for that poetry reading eh?" He laughed.

"Yea," he grunted, "I didn't think you really wanted to anyway."

"I did," Merlin admitted and looked back at him, "I meant what I said the other night."

"Ok." He let out a quiet sigh and ran his hand through his curls, "how does all this affect you two?" He asked, gesturing back to the house.

"I don't know..." he said honestly, "he can't let the public know about me, at least not yet... not until the dust settles and even then, it all depends on how well people accept him as the new leader."

"Doesn't it bother you? Being his little secret?" Merlin frowned at Mordred and shook his head.

"No, I mean, not really," he shrugged and looked away, "sometimes it's hard, especially right now. I want to be able to be there for him but the moment we step out of our room, we have to go back to pretending like we have nothing between us."

"I've been someone's secret before," Mordred sympathized, "I dated this guy who wasn't out. All the usual excuses, his parents wouldn't understand whatever. Always said that it wasn't me, that he would tell them if he could but when his family asked him point blank if he was gay, he denied it."

"That must been hard."

"I cared about him, probably more than I've cared about anyone else..." he trailed off, not finishing his thought but Merlin could guess it: until you. He didn't know what to say back to him. Again, Mordred seemed to be opening up to him without question.

"It's hard being in this world," Merlin said, meaning the corporate world they lived in, "There's so many rules to follow and so many things that you can screw up."

"It's harder for people like us; we're different than them Emrys." He stated and Merlin looked at him.

"That's true, we are." That sat together for several more minutes, not saying anything else, nothing else needed to be said. Merlin felt comfortable with Mordred there, his presence almost comforting. It was nice to be able to just sit without feeling the need to talk and Mordred seemed to feel the same way.

Merlin watched the stars shift in the sky, leaning back against the bench and closed his eyes to draw in the fresh air. When he opened them again, Mordred was watching him with that heart stopping look of his.

"What?" His gaze made him blush and he was grateful for the darkness.

"You just look... comfortable." He said after a moment, his head tilting to the side and a stray curl fell in his face. Merlin had to firmly tell himself not to reach up and brush it away.

"I am."

"After all of this settles... do you think we could have that lunch?" He inquired and Merlin smiled.

"Definitely, I would really like that."

"Ok," he stood up and leaned over Merlin, "goodnight Emrys," he breathed as he bent down and kissed Merlin's cheek. Merlin froze, not daring to move and when he opened his eyes, Mordred was gone.

**AN: Please review :D**


	31. Chapter 30

**AN: It's a bit of a short chapter sorry!**

Chapter Thirty

Merlin woke up the next morning before Arthur did, although he was pretty sure that the drugs he'd given him last night would make him sleep in a bit longer than usual. He showered and went scavenging in the kitchen for food where he ran into Mordred and Morgana. Morgana's eyes were swollen and puffy and Merlin felt a mixture of pity and confusion. Considering just how much she hated Uther, he was really surprised to see how put out she was by his death. He didn't even hate Uther and he wasn't crying in the corner over it but then again, Uther hadn't been his father. It wasn't completely unreasonable for her to be upset after all he was the only father she had known. He wasn't perfect and she definitely didn't seem to like the guy at all but Merlin could understand how his death would mean that there would never be the chance for them to get closer. He ate his apple quietly, watching Morgana and Mordred interact with fascination. Mordred cared for her, pouring her tea, whispering soothing things to her, even made her breakfast. She thanked him politely, watching him with a mixture of admiration and possessiveness but Mordred remained cold as ever. He cared for her physically but Merlin couldn't help but noticed that he didn't look at her like he even gave a shit. He wondered if it was just his usual indifference taking over but either way, it was unsettling.

An hour later, Merlin decided he needed to wake Arthur up. Lance would be here at eleven to go over Uther's will with them and it was already ten. He would want to dress and would need to eat something before Lance got here. So he went into the bedroom and gently shook Arthur awake.

"Huh?" Arthur groggily said, eyes barely managing to open into little slits.

"Arthur, you need to wake up," Merlin shook and Arthur's head just fell back. "Come on Arthur!" He yelled a bit louder.

"Ok, ok, I'm up," Arthur mumbled and attempted to sit up but only fell backwards. Merlin pulled on his arms until he was standing up, nearly stumbling into Merlin. "Shit, what's wrong with me?" He asked, rubbing his face.

"Yea sorry, after effects of the drugs probably," Merlin said, thankfully Arthur was too stoned still to understand what he said and only grunted in response. Merlin shoved the naked Arthur into the shower and turned on the cold water and booked it from the room. He tripped over his own feet as Arthur screamed like bloody murder as the water poured out onto him. Merlin was still trying to scramble up when he felt Arthur's hand wrap around the back of his neck and lift him to his feet. He turned around to face him, the vein in Arthur's forehead throbbing as he glared at Merlin.

"I'm awake, thank you very much." He growled through the water dripping off his face.

"Oh good," Merlin grinned, "Lance will be here in an hour."

"Great," he let go of Merlin, shoving him towards the bed and retrieving his towel from the bathroom floor. He dried off and dressed in an old suit he kept at the house (among others). Merlin chewed his lip while he watched him, anxiously twisting his hands.

"Are you cross with me?" He asked and Arthur looked over at him, eyebrow raised and scowl firmly in place.

"Why would I be cross with you? Oh right, because you drugged me or because you threw me in a cold shower before I was even awake?" He barked and Merlin winced. He turned to him and placed his hands on his hips as he watched Merlin squirm but he couldn't keep the scowl in place for long and burst out laughing. Merlin didn't have time to process what was happening before Arthur was on top of him, tickling his sides to death.

"Oh my god ok ok I'm sorry!" He squealed and Arthur just laughed.

"You're horrible!" He announced, blowing a raspberry on his neck.

"Arg!" Merlin fought against him fruitlessly.

"But thank you," he finally said as he pulled away, "For taking care of me and making sure I got some sleep. But you will live to regret your actions." He pushed off of Merlin and adjusted his tie with an evil grin.

"I can deal with that," Merlin smiled back and got up. "Come on, I'll make you breakfast."

They headed down the hallways and just before they entered the kitchen, Merlin quickly grabbed Arthur's arm.

"Wait, I forgot to tell you. Mordred's here. Morgana called him last night; he's here for her ok?" He told him and Arthur's jaw clenched at the mention of Mordred's name but he nodded and went into the kitchen.

"Good morning sister," he said gently as he kissed her cheek, "Mordred."

"I'm sorry about your father Arthur," Mordred offered and handed him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you Mordred." Arthur said curtly and took the coffee. Merlin went about making eggs, bacon and toast, making Arthur eat an apple while he waited. The four moved about the kitchen awkwardly, everyone fully aware of Mordred's feelings for Merlin and everyone knew about Arthur and Merlin. Merlin attempted to ignore it, whistling to himself as he cooked, trying not to notice the daggers Arthur was throwing at Mordred with his eyes and the way that Mordred's eyes lingered on him whenever he moved passed him. Morgana watched with the amusement of a rather disturbed child who was watching ants burn under a magnifying glass.

"Sire," Stewart said, appearing out of nowhere, "Lancelot is here." He informed them and then disappeared again. Arthur put down his breakfast, he and Morgana standing at the same time and going to the door. Mordred and Merlin watched from the other side of the kitchen.

"Um, it would probably be best if you two stayed here... or at least... didn't follow." Arthur said gently.

o.O.o.O.o

Lance sat in Uther's study at his desk looking at the papers in front of him. He hated doing this, he really did not want to have to do this but he couldn't back out now. He was Uther's executor of his will and had agreed to do it several years ago. Every six months since, Uther had insisted on reviewing his will and making any necessary changes despite Lance's many assurances that that was way more frequently than necessary. Morgana was not going to like this at all, he thought bitterly.

"Lance," Arthur greeted and they shook hands. Lance kissed Morgana's cheeks and they all sat down.

"So, here is a copy of your father's will," he said and handed them each a copy. He let them silently read the papers to themselves, keeping his hands firmly clasped together as he waited. He could hear Morgana hiss when she got to the division of property and accounts section. Arthur finished moments before Morgana and they both looked at each other. Arthur was stunned and rather horrified and Lance could see the rage boiling in Morgana.

"I see our father has left you everything," she said, her voice shaking as she struggled for control.

"Morgana, I am so sorry. Anything that you want, it's yours, honestly. If you want the house... the horses... and obviously half of the fortune he's left." Arthur rushed, reaching out to take his sister's hand. She snatched it away and drew in a deep steadying breath.

"I care not for anything that he has left behind. I simply wish that he had respected me enough to leave me something a little more than a trinket." She confessed, swiping at the tears that poured over her sculpted cheek bones.

"He cared about you," Arthur tried to reassure her but she just shook her head, forcing that cold look that she had mastered to remove all emotion from her face.

"If there is anything I can do to help you Arthur, with Camelot and managing all the new responsibilities." She offered and Arthur smiled weakly.

"I will need your help, Morg. I know how brilliant you are and that's why I was kind of hoping that you would take my current place at Camelot and I'll take father's." He suggested and she raised her eyebrow at him, surprised by his generosity but Lance could tell she thought he only offered it to her out of guilt.

"Whatever you wish Arthur," she smiled and looked back at Lance. "Is that everything?"

"There's just the matter of his funeral to deal with," he said, clearing his throat and pulling out the pile of papers with Uther's very specific details. "Uther had some very specific requests about his burial." He explained, telling them about where he wanted the viewing to take place, the type of ceremony for the service and who he wanted to conduct it. It took over an hour to go through thoroughly and by the end of it; all three were exhausted and ready for bed again. Lance had provided Arthur with the list of instructions and Arthur planned to have George and Merlin take care of most of it. He and Morgana needed to deal with the business side of things before stocks fell any lower.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin and Mordred sat in the kitchen sipping tea and silently waiting for everyone to come back. They didn't say much; as usual there wasn't a whole lot that either of them felt needed to be said. Mordred let his foot slip a little further so that it was resting against Merlin's calf under the table. Merlin twitched slightly at the sudden contact but didn't move; he just looked at Mordred with a small smile on his lips. It was Mordred's way of saying that he cared, that he was there and should Merlin need anything, he would be there for him.

A few minutes later, Arthur and Morgana walked into the kitchen both looking exceptionally miserable. Morgana simply walked past them both and out the other door.

"I guess I'm going that way," Mordred said after a moment and got up, following Morgana to wherever she was going.

"So," Merlin stood up and slipped his arms around Arthur's waist. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin's shoulders and buried his face in Merlin's neck.

"Just... hold me a moment," He mumbled against him when Merlin went to ask him what happened. Merlin rubbed his hand against Arthur's lower back, trying to still his trembling. "I don't think I can do this Merlin."

"Yes you can Arthur."

"How can you be so sure?" He asked pulling away and letting his hands fall to Merlin's neck as he searched his eyes.

"Because I know you Arthur. You're the strongest, most amazing man in the world and you're destined to be a great leader." He promised him, kissing his lips tenderly.

"What if I mess up?"

"Then you mess up and we fix it together. You can do this Arthur, I know you can. I believe in you, you just need to too." Arthur shook his head and kissed Merlin again, hugging him.

"Thank you. Sometimes _Mer_lin, you could fool someone into thinking you were actually wise," he teased and Merlin laughed, slapping his shoulder and moving away.

"And the Prince of Prats is back," he said with an eye roll, "well, you're the King of Prats now." Arthur punched his arm back.

"Come on, I need your help writing my speech for the press conference tomorrow." He said as he pulled Merlin out of the kitchen and back up to his bedroom.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty One

Uther's funeral was more of a circus than it was a funeral. The amount of people that came for the viewings was absolutely ridiculous in Merlin's opinion; it was as if a member of the royal family had died. For two days, hundreds of people from all over the world circled around Uther's body, all grieving in their own way. The actual funeral service itself was for family and close friends only but that did not stop the press from nearly drowning them as they tried to make their way into the church.

Arthur delivered the eulogy, his voice strong and loving as he talked about a father Merlin was pretty sure wasn't Uther. The newspapers were filled with stories about Uther's "charitable" works, his contributions to society and what would happen to Camelot now (Merlin was thoroughly confused, he couldn't remember a single charitable thing Uther Pendragon had done). Stocks managed to stabilize and even increase as Arthur grew stronger in his new role at the company. He donated two million pounds to the Heart and Stroke foundation and in one month, Arthur had completely shaken all of Camelot.

He publically announced that he regretted that Camelot did not do enough for the community and apologized for not making enough of an effort in the past. He informed everyone that Camelot would be getting a lot more involved in charities and he opened the doors for groups to contact him with requests for assistance. Everyone was completely shocked and the board was not too impressed. Merlin knew that Arthur was right though—do more for the people around you and they will respect you which in the corporate world meant profits would increase. He wasn't so sure how everyone else felt about it though and he was pretty sure that Morgana was about ready to have him murdered. Arthur was shaking the boat quite a lot and Merlin was getting used to the angry phone calls between Arthur and various shareholders. Despite the fact that it seemed like a lot of investors were angry about Arthur's sudden charity and new way of running things, by the end of the first month profits had made a dramatic increase and their shares were at the highest they had ever been.

The only disadvantage to all of this in Merlin's opinion was the fact that he hardly saw Arthur anymore. Arthur was still staying at the manor while they dealt with Uther's estate. Apparently, Uther had more than just one house, he had three others across the globe and Morgana and Arthur were trying to figure out what to do with them. Arthur really didn't care about any of them though he did express interest in keeping the manor. Morgana wanted to sell it all, she had no desire to keep anything of Uther's. Then there was the matter of Uther's sizeable collection of medieval artwork and collectibles that needed to be cataloged and auctioned off. Morgana wasn't too impressed that Arthur wanted to donate more than a few pieces to the British museum. So Merlin was living at the flat while Arthur spent all his time at the manor and he was really starting to miss him. The other thing was that they were all too busy to pay much attention to Morgana and Freya had only contacted them once more to tell them that she was onto something. Merlin was about to text Gwaine to see if he was free tomorrow night when Arthur knocked on his office door.

"Merlin," he said as he came in and shut the door, "do you have a moment?"

"Yea," Merlin grinned at him, had he gotten sexier or was it just that he hadn't seen him in so long?

"I need to ask something of you that I don't know how you're going to feel about it." He stated and sat down across from him.

"Ok," he shifted in his seat, what was this about?

"George is a fantastic assistant and he's doing really well but... well he's just so dull and so terrible with people."

"Ok," Merlin grinned, "starting to miss me?"

"God no," Arthur quickly corrected but grinned, "you were a terrible assistant Merlin, truly rubbish."

"But you want me back?"

"Yes."

Merlin laughed and shook his head, "what about my current job?"

"Two options. One, I dissolve your current work into Morgana's, or two, you find someone to replace you." Clearly he had thought about this a lot Merlin noticed.

"What about Mordred? He could take over for me."

"No," Arthur was already shaking his head, "and it's not because I don't like the kid but because he's not at all qualified. The amount of contracts you deal with, you'd be better off picking someone from the law department. Whoever replaces you has to have at least some legal experience." He explained and it made sense. Merlin often forgot that not everyone had the same background as him.

"Ok, well I don't know who else could take over for me." He said with a shrug and Arthur nodded.

"Alright, it's settled then. I'll inform Morgana about the change."

"What about George, what's happening with him?"

"Well I'm not sure about that, I was thinking of maybe... I don't know, seeing if anyone was short an assistant?"

"You can't fire George Arthur!" Merlin gaped, "he's a perfectly acceptable employee, you have no reason to fire him and don't say that being 'dull' is a legitimate reason!" Arthur pouted.

"Fine, I'll have Gaius find something for him."

"Good," Merlin smiled at him, Arthur was totally useless without him, "when do you want me to start for you again?"

"Tomorrow too soon?"

"Yes," he laughed, "how about Monday? Let me finish up the week here. I'll be able to talk with Morgana, fill her in on everything I was doing although she's pretty up to date." That much was true. Since Morgana had taken over Arthur's former position it meant that Merlin got to spend a great deal of time with her and Mordred. The benefit of that was that Merlin got to keep a watch on Morgana and Mordred since he didn't have any other time to investigate although Merlin was pretty sure that Mordred was not at all involved in whatever she was doing. It wasn't the best of situations, considering he hardly saw Arthur anymore but he was finally getting somewhere with Mordred.

"Sounds fair," Arthur agreed and stood up, "I'm not going to be home again tonight... I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I have plans anyway." Merlin smiled. Mordred and Merlin were finally going to be having that lunch they talked about only it was dinner instead.

"Alright, well have a good night." Arthur winked and Merlin waived, he wanted to kiss him goodnight but Arthur still wasn't ready to make their relationship public knowledge and Merlin wasn't about to pressure him. He watched him leave and went back to his work. He needed to finish this before he went out with Mordred.

o.O.o.O.o

"No one suspects anything," Morgana said quietly into the phone as she closed the blinds to her office and shut the door.

"Good," Morgause said approvingly, "how are we with creating the doubt with Arthur?"

"Some people seem to adore him even more now that Uther is dead but I believe that the majority of the shareholders agree with me—Arthur has no idea what he's doing." She said victoriously.

"Excellent, and what of Merlin? Does he still suspect you?" She asked. Morgana had already told Morgause about Merlin's obsession with her the last few months. She had figured out that he and Gwaine had suspected her and Gwaine's 'interest' in her had only been a means of gaining information. She had caught him several times going through her things when he thought she was in the shower. She would never be sloppy enough to leave incriminating evidence just laying around for anyone to find.

"Yes but they have nothing. If they had any kind of proof, they would have gone to Arthur. In two weeks, the program will begin shutting down Camelot's networks and by the time they notice something's gone wrong, we'll be long gone." She wasn't worried. Merlin and Gwaine were idiots for thinking they could stop her and they were rapidly running out of time.

"Good, things are working out well." She said approvingly and Morgana smiled that little wicked grin of hers.

"Yes, I can't wait to read about it in the papers."

Mordred knocked on her door and poked his head inside.

"Just a moment Mordred!" She snapped quickly, "I'll talk to you later Morgause." She hung up and glared at Mordred. "You should learn to wait for permission before entering."

"I'm sorry," he frowned, wondering at her frequent conversations with Morgause. "I just wanted to say goodnight. I probably won't be home too early."

"Ok, goodnight." She dismissed him with the wave of her hand. He closed the door and mentally wanted to slap her. She was such a bitch sometimes. He smiled though when he saw Merlin coming down the hallway towards him.

"All set?" He asked and Mordred nodded.

"Yea," they walked out together, chatting easily about their day.

"I'm glad we finally have time to do this!" Merlin said happily as they were seated at their table.

"I am too," Mordred nodded although the truth was he was more than happy to be getting to do this. Lately they had been spending a lot more time together and Merlin wasn't recoiling from his touch and Mordred was starting to wonder if things between him and Arthur weren't so good. Like usual, he made a point to compliment Merlin every time they were together and to say something along the lines of 'if you were my boyfriend'. He knew it probably came out desperate and it annoyed him that he was still hung up on him but he couldn't help himself. He wanted Merlin to see that he was a good person, for him to trust him and care about him as much as he cared about him.

They ordered wine and their meals as they talked more about work and how things were going lately. Merlin told Mordred how Arthur wanted him back as his assistant full time and that he would be leaving the department by the end of the week. Mordred wasn't too excited about this, he was actually very disappointed considering it meant he would be seeing less of Merlin.

"So how are things with Morgana?" Merlin asked later on when their food came.

"She's alright," Mordred wasn't actually sure of the answer; the woman had grown rather secretive.

"Yea? I still worry about her after Uther's death," Merlin replied and Mordred caught the hint of something else in his tone.

"She's gotten a lot more withdrawn," he provided, "a bit secretive if you ask me and she seems to be talking to Morgause a lot more."

"Really?" Merlin's brow perked up at the mention of Morgause and Mordred frowned.

"But I try not to get involved in her business," he said, wanting to end the conversation about Morgana. There was something off in the way Merlin was asking about her.

"I completely understand," he smiled and finished off his glass of wine and ordered another.

"Where is Arthur tonight?"

"At the manor, like most nights. Since his dad died he's been practically living there."

"And you're not living with him?" Mordred asked with interest.

"No, not really. I'm still living at the flat. Someone needs to look after Kilgharrah."

"Why don't you just sell the flat and move into the manor?"

"I don't think Arthur wants to live there to be honest," Merlin explained.

"He can't exactly sell it right? It's been in his family for how many generations?"

"I forget, but a lot. I think he's hoping Morgana will take it."

"I doubt that," Mordred speculated, "she hates that house."

"Oh," Merlin frowned, that was too bad. He missed Arthur and wanted him to come home. "Oh well, we'll figure it out. In the time being, I hardly see Arthur anymore."

"Are you guys still...?" He didn't want to finish the sentence but Merlin nodded, understanding what he meant.

"Yea." Merlin replied. After that though they changed subjects and started talking about poetry and what Mordred was currently working on. Merlin was the only one who ever showed any interest in Mordred's personal life and he was happy to share it with him.

By the end of the night, Mordred was feeling like there might actually be some hope for them yet. Merlin and Arthur seemed to not be doing so well and he seemed lonely. Maybe Mordred could be there for him when Arthur was too busy being a business man. He shook his head, trying to tell himself that it wasn't a good idea to start all this again.

"Morgana I'm home," he called out as he kicked off his shoes.

"In here," she shouted back and he followed her voice into the kitchen where she was having a glass of wine. "Wine?"

"Sure," he accepted the glass and took a sip of the straw colored liquid.

"What were you up to tonight?" She asked.

"I had dinner with Merlin." He responded and she raised her brow at him.

"Oh really?" She sneered, "Well there may be hope for you two after all. In two weeks time, there won't be a Camelot and Arthur will be out of the picture for good." She said cryptically and Mordred frowned.

"What do you mean Morgana?"

"You'll see," she winked and sauntered out of the room. Mordred watched her walk out, baffled by her behaviour.

o.O.o.O.o

"Merlin I did it!" Freya's frantic voice shouted through the receiver, "I figured it out! Oh my god it's _fucking brilliant_! It's so fucking beautiful, like oh my god I have to meet the person who created this. It's completely genius!"

"Slow down, you figured it out?" He asked, sitting up straight and grinning.

"Yea, fuck Merlin it's a-"

"No, don't tell me over the phone. Meet us tonight at the same bar, seven o-clock." He instructed. When they had disconnected, he practically ran out of his office, dancing around coworkers until he reached the elevator.

"Lance!" He panted as he threw open his door, "She did it, Freya's got answers for us. Cancel your plans tonight; we're meeting her at seven."

"What?"

"Seven!" Merlin shouted over his shoulder and he headed down to accounting.

"Gwaine," he knocked on his door, "tonight, you, me, Lance and Freya. Seven o-clock, Lance will pick you up." He informed him and it took a moment for what he said to process in Gwaine's mind before he nodded and agreed.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin anxiously sipped his rum and coke, waiting for Freya was torturous. When he spotted the bob of purple hair weaving through the crowd, he practically jumped up to flag her down.

"Hey," he said when she reached their table and sat down.

"Hi," she replied and then pulled out her laptop, not wasting any time, "this thing is beautiful. It's a master piece."

"What is?" Gwaine asked.

"It's a virus, the most incredible virus I've ever seen," she explained as she pulled it up on her computer. The three men looked at the black screen with white numbers and letters running across it.

"Um, no idea what that is." Lance said finally and they looked at her for further explanation.

"A virus was uploaded to the Camelot server nearly five months ago. It's the best camouflaged virus I've ever seen, the way it integrated itself into the system without being detected," she talked about it with awe.

"What does it do Freya?" Merlin pressed and she looked at him with a wild look on her face.

"It's stealing money, which you already knew it was doing but it's taken nearly ten million pounds at this point."

"Holy fuck," Gwaine exclaimed and looked at them, "how didn't anyone detect it? I mean, you can't take ten million pound without someone noticing!"

"That's one of the best parts about this virus; it corrupts so much of the data everywhere—in Camelot's software and with your banks. It reroutes all transactions into a separate account where some of it is taken and then it goes back to the bank but the data has been altered so that the bank reflects the correct amount. It's incredibly complicated to explain and I don't even fully understand it but its working."

"Is this enough proof?" Merlin asked, "Could we take this to police?"

"No, you don't want to do that yet. Two things. One, it's doing the best framing job I've ever seen. It's infecting Arthur's account; creating a trail that will lead them directly to him and the second thing... it's a bomb."

"What?!" They all shouted at once.

"In two weeks it will close off the accounts, create false accounts that will lead to Arthur's private bank accounts and it will take one final amount of money and deposit it into his account but it will be too large of an amount and it will set off the security." She explained.

"Oh my god," Lance gaped and ran his hands through his hair, "in two weeks it's going to completely destroy Camelot."

"The fake data that the virus has been putting in place will collapse and Camelot will be out millions of pounds, the stock will drop and it will go under before anyone can even realize what's happened." Freya confirmed.

"I can't believe this," Merlin swore and looked at the others, "what are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to stop this?"


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

The only thing that they could think of to do was to get the original copy of the virus, which Morgana would have kept somewhere in case something went wrong and she needed a back up of it and to catch her confessing everything on tape. It was basically an impossible plan and Merlin was pretty sure that there was no way that they were going to be able to accomplish it. For starts, getting the flash drive that Freya said had the virus (although she wasn't 100% sure it was a flash drive) would mean searching through all of Morgana's things. They had no idea where it was kept. It could be in her office, it could be in a safe somewhere or she might keep it on her at all times, there was no way to know at this point. Secondly, none of them were exactly welcome to just show up at her house and start going through her things. She had stopped sleeping with Gwaine several weeks ago so Gwaine was of no use that way. Mordred was the only one any of them could think of that would possibly be of any help but they had no idea if they could trust him or not. Merlin wanted to be able to trust him but there was that dark side of Mordred that instinctively made Merlin not trust him and he couldn't get past it. He was still wrestling with the decision when he went into work the next morning. He said good morning to Mordred and went directly into his office.

There was no way Merlin could focus on work with the weight of everything. There was no way around it, they needed Mordred's help and Merlin was just going to have to trust him.

"Mordred?" Merlin walked over to his desk and Mordred looked up from the email he was sending.

"Yea?"

"Can we go for lunch?" He asked, looking at Morgana's office, "it's important."

"Ok," he nodded, "I'll just finish this up." He finished his email quickly and they set out to find a secluded restaurant.

"So what's this about?" Mordred asked once they were seated.

"I need to talk to you about something but it's complicated and it's risky of me to tell you," He started, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans and trying to keep his voice calm. "I need your help with something and I want to trust you, I just..." he trailed off, not sure how to finish.

"But you don't," Mordred stated bluntly, "that's ok. I know you don't trust me and I would do almost anything to earn your trust. I want you to know that you _can_ trust me. I'm here for you, whatever you need." He reached across the table and took Merlin's hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Merlin licked his lips and drew in a deep breath.

"Morgana is stealing from Camelot."

Mordred just stared at him and blinked several times. He shook his head and pulled his hand back, "I'm sorry, did you just say-"

"Morgana is stealing from Camelot and she's framing Arthur for all of it."

"How do you know?" Mordred struggled for words, his mind not processing what Merlin was saying.

"When she got back from LA, I caught her on Arthur's computer. Shortly after, Gwaine noticed some financial discrepancies and after further investigation, he saw that someone was taking money but he didn't know how. So I had a friend of mine look into it and she's found this virus that was uploaded to the network. Basically, it's been stealing money for the last five months and in two weeks, it's going to blow the lid on the whole thing and Arthur is going to be blamed for all of it." He summarized and Mordred just gawked at him.

"How do you know it's Morgana? Why would she steal from Camelot?" He asked at once.

"I know its Morgana because... there's no reason Arthur would steal from his own company! Camelot is his life; he loves it and would never do anything to hurt it. Besides, he has no reason to steal from it, he's already rich!"

"But why would Morgana? She has more than enough money." He pressed.

"I don't think it's about money. Morgana has hated Uther for a long time and then what happened with Leon-"

"It changed her," Mordred confirmed, "she was different when she got back."

"Exactly. I think that she wanted to take the one thing that mattered most to Uther away and then when he died and left her nothing... It just confirmed to her everything she believed. She hates Arthur as much as she hated Uther and I think she just wants to hurt him." Merlin speculated.

"You said you needed my help, how?"

"The virus was uploaded using a flash drive. This USB stick would have the original virus on it and would be covered in Morgana's prints as well as Freya thinks that there might be some kind of digital evidence or something," Merlin rambled, he really didn't understand half of what she said but he knew he needed this drive, "have you ever seen her with a flash drive?" Mordred laughed.

"Seriously Emyrs? We _all_ have flash drives. I have five and I know Morgana has several. How am I supposed to know which one?" He asked and Merlin sighed.

"This wouldn't be one she would just leave lying around. She would try to keep it hidden," he answered.

"The other day," Mordred frowned as he remembered something, "she asked me to get something from her purse. I was looking for it and saw this USB stick and when she saw that I had it in my hand she totally lost it. She freaked out, snatched her bag back and told me I didn't need to 'rifle through her shit'"

"That's probably it!" Merlin grinned, "That's awesome! So she keeps it in her purse?"

"Yea, I think so. It might not be it but that's where you should start."

"Great, thank you. There's one other thing and this one will probably be a little bit harder..." Mordred waited for him to continue. "We need a confession."

"Ha!" Mordred balked. "How am I supposed to help you with that?"

"She trusts you," Merlin bit his lip, "if there were anyone she was going to tell about her plan, it would be you. I know that Morgause is involved somehow but I don't think we'll be able to record their conversation and besides, we don't exactly have time."

"So you just want me to go up to Morgana be like, so I hear you're robbing Camelot!'?"

"No!" Merlin laughed, "Just... I don't know has she ever alluded that she was up to something to you?"

"The other day she said something a bit cryptic and I thought she was just drunk or something."

"What did she say?"

"She said that in two weeks there wouldn't be a Camelot..." Mordred disclosed.

"She would probably be willing to tell you if you convinced her that you wanted to help..." Merlin suggested and Mordred ran a hand through his hair.

"And what happens if she finds out that we know about her?" He asked and Merlin bit his lip.

"I honestly don't know. I don't know how far she would be willing to go to protect herself."

"I think it's safe to assume she would go very far, considering everything she's already done." Mordred pointed out.

"Then I'm sorry that I'm asking you to risk so much," Merlin replied honestly and Mordred just smiled.

"Anything for you Emrys."

o.O.o.O.o

"Lance, can I talk to you for a moment?" Arthur asked as he stepped into Lance's office.

"Of course," Lance forced a smile. He was exhausted, he hadn't slept at all he was too worried about stopping Morgana. He was so distracted and worried about it, he almost didn't notice Arthur nervously wiping his hands on his pants and licking his lips. "Arthur... what's wrong?"

"I want to do something but I'm pretty sure that the board is not going to like it." He explained, pacing in front of Lance's desk.

"Will it hurt Camelot?"

"No, it won't, if anything it'll gain us even more favor in the public eye. It'll be seen as modern and advanced and ahead of the times." He ranted, waving his hand as if to dismiss the idea that it could possibly harm Camelot.

"Then why will the board disagree?" He asked this time.

"Because my father would have. He would never have allowed it and it goes against everything he believed in..." he said with an exacerbated sigh.

"Arthur, you are not your father and he's not here to disapprove of your actions. The board members are not your parents; they have no right to tell you how to live your life. If whatever you want to do is in the best interest of Camelot then it shouldn't matter."

"It's nothing for Camelot; it's for me but..." He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick out everywhere.

"For Christ's sake, just tell me so we can stop speculating."

"I'm going to ask Merlin to marry me." He confessed, looking over at his best friend with fearful eyes. Lance broke into a huge grin and jumped up.

"Congrats mate!" He said as he hugged him.

"Thanks, he hasn't said yes though," he reminded him, "but you can see how this will have an effect on Camelot?"

"I do but fuck it, Arthur, who you marry is your business. No one else has any right to pass any kind of judgement and if Merlin is the person you want to spend your life with then they can just deal with it." He declared and Arthur grinned at him.

"Thanks mate," he let out a shaky breath and produced a ring box from his pocket and handed it to Lance. "I'm going to ask him tonight."

"Really?" Lance opened the box and looked inside to see a beautiful silver wedding band. He pulled it out and looked at it, admiring the gold stained glass design on the inside and the white gold outside and the line that went through the center. "It's beautiful," he smiled and put it back and handed it to Arthur.

"Thanks. I'm scared shitless," he said with a nervous laugh and Lance patted his arm.

"Don't be, Merlin adores you. There's no way he'll say no." He assured him and Arthur nodded.

"I hope not."

"How are you going to do it?" He asked, going to his cupboard and producing a bottle of scotch and two glasses.

"I got the flat set up with few dozen roses, dinner on the terrace..." He blushed, he wasn't very good at making romantic gestures and proposing was definitely something he wasn't familiar with.

"Sounds... nice," Lance offered and Arthur looked at him pleadingly.

"Please Lance; I have no idea what I'm doing. Is... is that a good idea?" He asked desperately.

"Dinner on the terrace sounds nice Arthur," he assured him, "have some nice music playing in the background... please tell me you didn't make dinner though?"

"No, I want to marry him not murder him! I asked Rose to make it," he said referring to the cook he employed at the manor.

"Good, then I think you're all set. Just don't call him an idiot," Lance added and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry; I'm not a complete moron." He said as he was leaving the office and Lance snorted. That was debatable.

o.O.o.O.o

"So Mordred is going to confront Morgana and ask her to cut him in," Merlin explained to Gwaine and Lance later that day just before they were planning on going home.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Gwaine asked, eyeing Mordred up and down with clear distrust.

"I don't see you have any other choice." He snapped, glaring at him. Merlin rolled his eyes, why couldn't Mordred just play nice with everyone for once?

"We can trust him," Merlin assured them and looked at Mordred with a look that dared him to be wrong.

"I'll talk to her tonight. I'll record her on my phone and show you guys in the morning." Mordred said and the other two nodded.

"Alright, fine." Gwaine finally agreed.

"Ok, I have to go, some important dinner or something," Merlin said glancing at his watch. He noticed Lance blush a horrible red and frowned, wondering what that was about. "Alright, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Good luck Mordred," he squeezed his arm gently and walked out of Gwaine's office.

Merlin biked home, his mind busy with thoughts of Morgana and Mordred and if he would be successful in convincing her to tell him her plan. The ride went by fast when he was distracted and he walked his bike through the lobby and into the elevator. He chewed his lip, still thinking about the horrible situation they were all in when the doors opened.

At first he didn't register anything except that it was kind of annoyingly dark and he wondered why the lights weren't on all the way. Arthur had left before him (a rare event) and had told him to meet him here, so he knew that he was home. And then the view sunk in and Merlin's mouth fell open as he started at the transformed apartment.

There were roses everywhere, red and white petals littered the floor and bunches were gathered in vases scattered about. The dim light was the result of dozens of candles and lanterns, the flames flickering and casting a romantic glow. Arthur was nowhere to be seen so Merlin leaned his bike against the hallway wall like usual and tossed his bag on the kitchen counter.

"Arthur?" He called out, walking into the living room where he could see the curtains blowing in the open patio doors. Arthur was standing on terrace in a pair of jeans, bare foot and a faded red t-shirt. The skyline of London blinked and flickered behind him. Merlin grinned, he loved Arthur in a suit but because he was almost always wearing one, seeing him in casual clothes had the effect that most people had when they were wearing a suit for a special occasion. It made him look incredibly appealing and accented all of his muscles, making him look younger and yet distinguished. Arthur was grinning that smile that was always only for him as Merlin walked up to him. "What's all this?" He asked, kissing him gently. Arthur gently took Merlin's hands in his.

"I met you two years ago to the day," Arthur started, licking his lips nervously and looking at Merlin's hands because how on earth could he possibly manage to say everything he needed to say while Merlin was looking at him with those big eyes.

"Really?" Merlin grinned, "I hadn't realized."

"Well, I had to look through some emails," Arthur quickly said and then smiled awkwardly, "anyway, two years ago you waltzed into my life, this stupid idiotic grin on your face and immediately you put me in my place. I spent a year loving you at a distance, every time you called me a dollop head or prat, I loved you even more. You made me question who I was, what I wanted in life. You challenged me, you still do, and you don't let me just brush things off. You always make me do the right thing, even if I don't know what that is or if I don't want to. You believe in me when I don't have the strength to. You're the lousiest assistant I've ever had but the best partner I could ever dream of having." He paused nervously, looking up into Merlin's eyes, "Will you marry me?" He asked, audibly swallowing.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

Merlin felt like he was going to faint. At first when Arthur had started talking, he thought he was going to tell him he was dying, or something equally horrible was happening because why the hell was Arthur talking like this? And then he remembered the roses and the candles and then the terror had taken over and he couldn't think anymore. When he heard the words 'will you marry me' come out of his mouth the entire world tilted and he had to grip onto Arthur's hands tightly to keep himself upright. While he was staring at Arthur, his mouth hanging open like an idiot, Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box.

"It's been passed down in my family for years, normally given as an anniversary gift but I didn't think you'd appreciate the very girly ring my father gave my mother when he proposed." He joked, pulling the ring out and holding it up for Merlin to look at it. It was stunning. It appeared to be simple and elegant on the outside, so collected and so very Arthur but on the inside, the lacy gold created a stained glass look to it that was breathtakingly beautiful, just like Arthur. Merlin gently took it from Arthur and stared at it, his mind desperately trying to catch up with what was happening.

"Merlin... please say something," Arthur pleaded when Merlin was silent for far too long.

"I..." he stammered and then threw his arms around Arthur and kissed him hard, pulling him to himself as he kissed him with everything in him. They broke apart, unable to avoid breathing any longer.

"Is that a yes?" Arthur gasped, panting and lacing his fingers in Merlin's hair.

"Yes, with all my heart, yes," he grinned and Arthur pulled away enough to push the ring onto his ring finger. He kissed his hand sweetly and then brought his lips up to Merlin's, drawing him into another passionate kiss.

o.O.o.O.o

"Hey," Mordred said as he sat down on the couch across from Morgana. He checked his phone to ensure it was recording and then put it face down on the coffee table.

"Hello," Morgana smiled up at Mordred from over her book.

"I wanted to talk to you about something you said the other day..." he started and Morgana tilted her head questioningly at him before setting her book down.

"And what did I say?"

"You said in two weeks there wouldn't be a Camelot," he repeated.

"I meant nothing by it," she said quickly, lifting her book up again.

"I know; I just wanted to say... if you did... I would be interested in... Seeing how that could happen." He elaborated and she looked at him interestedly.

"Suppose I knew something that would indicate that Camelot would suddenly not be the most successful corporation in London?" She questioned.

"Then I would be happy to know that the Pendragons finally got what he deserves." Mordred ventured. She smiled at him and set her book down again.

"And why would that be?" She wondered.

"Because as long as Arthur is around I have no chance with Merlin." He stated easily and she laughed.

"All for a crush Mordred?"

"Not a crush Morgana," he corrected, "I love Merlin and I know that he feels the same way, Arthur is just in the way. If something happened to Arthur, I know I would get the chance I need." He said honestly, as honestly as he could anyway. A part of him believed his words, at least, wanted to believe them but another part of him knew that they weren't true and still yet, another part wondered if his actions tonight would prove himself worthy in Emrys' eyes.

"Well that could be arranged." She suggested.

"If I knew what you were planning, I could help you." He offered gently, hoping that he wasn't being too forward as to raise suspicion. She narrowed her gaze at him as she studied him.

"I've found a way to ensure my future while making sure that Arthur takes the fall and in the process, destroy the one thing he cares most about—Camelot." She admitted and Mordred wondered if that was enough.

"How?" He pressed, "How is that even possible?"

"The wonders of technology Mordred," She revealed, "let's just say that I have found a little _bug_ that has made it possible to take everything Camelot is worth and Arthur and make it look like Arthur was double dipping." Mordred smiled, this was probably the closest to a confession he was going to get. It would have to be enough.

"That's brilliant, how can I help?"

"You can get Merlin off my back," She said venomously, "that little parasite has been snooping around, sending Gwaine to try and go through my things. He's always butting his nose in where it doesn't belong. I need you to distract him, I don't care how, just make sure he's too distracted to look any further into what I'm doing." She instructed and he nodded.

"Easy," which was true, there could be a thousand ways to distract Merlin, all of which were probably not things he would do if he cared about him but then again, he wasn't going to do anything.

o.O.o.O.o

"So," Merlin said as they lay in bed, the sheets twisted around their legs, their bodies covered in sweat and cum, "married." He said and couldn't help the smile that took over his lips.

"Married," Arthur repeated with a grin of his own as he looked at Merlin lying beside him. He was still struggling to catch his breath and he watched as Merlin's chest rose and fell.

"That's very... public." He pointed out and Arthur nodded.

"Yes it is, but I think it's about time." He responded easily, kissing that delicious spot on Merlin's neck where his jaw hollowed into his neck.

"Mmm, are you sure you're ready for it?" He asked eyes half closed as he savored the feeling of Arthur's lips against his flesh.

"I am, are you?" He countered, his fingers trailing down Merlin's chest and teasing over his hips making him squirm.

"Yes," he whispered and ran his own hand over Arthur's shoulder as he watched him. Arthur's eyes took in every glorious detail of Merlin's body in front of him. He was the most beautiful thing in the world and he couldn't believe he had agreed to spend his life with him, Arthur, the King of Prats.

"There's something I want to show you," he said quietly and sat up.

"Ok," Merlin reluctantly sat up, he was comfortable on the bed and movement seemed a little too difficult on his still wobbly legs but he followed Arthur anyway.

"I've never told anyone about this," Arthur said as he led Merlin into his study, tripping slightly as he pulled his pants on. Merlin hadn't bothered with pants but just pulled the bed sheet with him, wrapping it around himself like a blanket. "Remember that day, your birthday where we were at that horrible little diner and you asked me about the things I enjoyed doing besides work?" He asked and Merlin struggled momentarily to retrieve the memory. It felt like a hundred years ago.

"Yea," he answered after a moment.

"Well, there was one more interest I had but I haven't shared it with anyone. Not even Leon or Morgana know about it, my father never knew either," he explained as he pulled at some books on the bookcase. Merlin was about to ask him what the hell he was doing when a hidden door popped open behind the bookcase.

"What the hell?" Merlin frowned; he seriously did not know that was there. Arthur took Merlin's hand and brought him into the little room. He was fumbling for the lights but even without the lights, Merlin could smell the paint and see the outline of canvases. When he turned the light on Merlin's eyes went wide in disbelief. It was a small room, probably the size of the bathroom. The walls were covered with paintings and canvases of all different sizes leaned against the walls in stacks. A few stood on easels in the corner and in the center was a chair, a little table covered in paints and an easel with a painting on it. It was this painting that he was staring at, eyes taking in the incredible detail. It was a painting of Merlin leaning against the hallway of the apartment, his back slightly arched, head thrown back as his hand loosely wrapped around himself. It seemed vaguely familiar and he looked at Arthur for an explanation.

"Our first night," he responded to his unspoken question. His mouth hung open slightly as he took in the painting, the way that the darkness teased the viewer, only letting hints of his body to be seen. Finally, he peeled his eyes away and looked to the other paintings. There were dozens, some of him, some of landscapes that Merlin didn't recognize; some of the city, some of the ocean, some of his friends and family. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You painted all of these? How did I not know?" He asked and Arthur just smiled.

"It was a secret _Mer_lin. My mother used to paint. I didn't know that until I was in college, but I've been painting since I was a teenager, just never told anyone. A lot of the paintings at the manor are my mother's paintings," he explained, "I hadn't meant to keep it a secret from anyone. It was just... I felt close to her, you know?" Merlin understood that this was something incredibly special to Arthur, something he shared with no one except his mother who he had never had the chance to meet. "It was like I could know her when I painted, like we had something in common and she was here with me. I wanted to keep it private for that reason, not because I didn't want you to know."

"It's ok," Merlin assured him and slipped his hand into Arthur's, "is it weird if I say that I kind of feel like I'm meeting your mum?" He asked, making Arthur's eyes shined.

"No," he whispered and drew in a deep breath. Merlin kissed Arthur tenderly.

"Thank you for sharing this with me. Your paintings are beautiful and... wow that's hot," He said, getting distracted by a painting of the two of them. They were sitting on Arthur's bed, Merlin in his lap as Arthur was thrusting into him, his head thrown back in ecstasy and Arthur's strong arms wrapped around his waist. Arthur laughed at Merlin's reaction and blushed.

"Yea, well, before we got together... I kind of... had a bit of frustration to work out."

"You painted this _before_?" He asked, a devilish grin turning his lips upwards, "tisk tisk, naughty boy." He teased before he was kissing him again, letting his sheet fall to the floor.

o.O.o.O.o

"Congrats," Lance said the next morning when Merlin got into work.

"How did you know I said yes?" He challenged and Lance just smirked at him.

"You would have been an idiot to say no."

"True," He agreed and grinned. He felt suddenly girly as he held up his ring, excited to show it off. Pretty soon, several co-workers had gathered around to see what was going on. It quickly became public knowledge that Merlin was engaged to Arthur no less. Both had decided that there would be no hiding it, there was no point in it, eventually it would come out and better they dealt with it sooner than later.

"What's going on?" Mordred asked as he looked at the swarm, unable to see what was at the center.

"Merlin's engaged!" Erin squealed and Mordred stumbled.

"What?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Engaged? Wasn't Merlin just saying how he hardly saw Arthur? Hadn't he been flirting with him, indicating that things weren't going well? Had Mordred really imagined all of that? He felt like he couldn't breathe and the room was rapidly spinning out of control.

"Merlin and _Arthur!_ Can you believe that? All this time! Arthur and _Merlin!_" Erin shouted in delight but Mordred felt sick to his stomach. No, Arthur couldn't win! Why hadn't he tried harder? Dammit, they had only just started dating when Mordred had first made his feelings known. Why hadn't he tried harder to get Merlin to see how much he cared? Why hadn't he spoken up sooner? He gasped for air, why hadn't Merlin told him?

He was so angry with himself, with Merlin and with Arthur. Mordred shoved past the crowd, not wanting to stay here and linger. He reached his desk and threw his jacket down all the while cursing himself.

He sat at his desk, glaring at the computer screen. He pulled out the flash drive that he had taken from Morgana's purse only moments before and stared at it. Mordred rolled it between his fingers at he watched the crowd. It was another twenty minutes before people finally began dispersing and getting to work and Mordred could finally see Merlin standing in the center. He was laughing, his right hand gripping his left, twisting the ring on his finger as he talked. He glanced over, catching Mordred's gaze and his smile faltered for a moment. Mordred didn't care; he didn't care if Merlin saw the hurt and anger in his eyes. Caring was always the problem. How could he have been so stupid? After all these years, hadn't he leaned not to care? He had! He had known better, he never cared it was all Merlin's fault. Merlin was the one who forced his way in, who somehow with those big blue eyes had managed to reach past all of his defenses. He glared at him, hating him for the pain he was causing him. When he realized Merlin was heading towards him, he looked away, desperately trying to find something to busy himself with. He didn't succeed.

"Mordred," Merlin's soft voice said and Mordred couldn't look up. He stared at his computer, seething and wanting to hurt Merlin.

"I see that congratulations are in order." He spat bitterly and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Merlin wince.

"Yea, it just happened…" He knew he was trying to explain it to him but he didn't want to hear anything.

"I have to go," He decided and quickly stood up, grabbing a random file from the top of his desk, "I have to deliver these," he lied and pushed passed Merlin.

"Mordred!" Merlin called out after him but Mordred ignored him. He was shaking and tears were prickling his eyes. Tears! Mordred tried to remember the last time he had cried, it had been so long ago. His father's death, that's when he had cried last and he was, crying over a stupid boy. Pathetic. He didn't slow until he was in the elevator, gasping for breath and fighting the tears away. He didn't care, he _wouldn't_ care! He would hurt Merlin for this, he would get him back. A part of him knew he had no right to be angry, after all, Merlin didn't feel the same way. But he had flirted with him! He had let Mordred think there could be something between them. He had led him on! He used him! It was all for his precious Arthur!

Mordred could see it clearly now and he clenched his stomach. He had never wanted to be friends, he only used him to learn about Morgana and when he wanted something from him, he had let him believe things between him and Arthur weren't doing well. Oh it was all so clear now. Why would Merlin care about him? The whole idea was ridiculous. He was nothing; he was a horrible person, a cruel, evil person. He had grown up being told that he was nothing but a disgusting monster, untouchable, unlovable, undesirable. He had spent so long fighting it, telling himself they couldn't be right but they were nuns after all and if anyone knew the true nature of someone it would be nuns wouldn't it? After all, they were closest to god.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he knew he couldn't fight it anymore, there was no point. He would be the monster he was; he would let his true nature show.

He would not help Emrys.


	35. Chapter 34

**AN: Story is coming to an end soon!**

Chapter Thirty Four

Two days and Mordred still hadn't gotten anything from Morgana. Merlin was starting to really worry; they were running out of time. He insisted that he was trying but that Morgana wouldn't tell him anything.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Gwaine asked again that afternoon as the three of them sat in Lance's office at lunch.

"I don't know," Merlin said honestly, "But it's not like we really have any other choice, right?"

"You don't think that he's a bit put out with the whole engagement thing?" He challenged and Merlin shrugged.

"Probably but there's nothing I can really do about that. He knew about me and Arthur, he knew that I love him and I wasn't about leave him for anyone." Merlin explained, "I don't see how he could think otherwise." That wasn't entirely true, Merlin knew. There was that undeniable connection between them, drawing them together, sparking every time they were close.

"He might not be so willing to help." Gwaine reminded, "Arthur really has terrible timing. You should have tried to stall him Lance."

"What was I suppose to tell him? Oh sorry mate, but now's not a really good time for you to propose, you should hold off for two weeks?" Lance questioned sarcastically.

"Suppose not," Gwaine conceded.

"It doesn't matter, it might be bad timing but I don't care," Merlin grinned, "we just work around it."

"Has Mordred at least found the flash drive?" Lance asked, trying to go back to the original conversation.

"He thinks that Morgana keeps it in her purse. I talked to Freya again last night and she said that she thinks she might have a way of reversing everything if she can get her hands on the original virus." He told them.

"That's good. It's not like we can really go to the HM," Gwaine advised, "We do that and Camelot still loses 10 million pounds and it collapses. Even if Morgana is caught, she'll still win if that's the case. We need to find a way to put the money back in and stop her _without_ letting Camelot fall."

"I think Freya could program something," Merlin confided, "She just has to get that flash drive." The three of them looked at each other with doubt. Someone would need to get their hands on Morgana's purse today if Mordred didn't.

o.O.o.O.o

Mordred helped Morgana with paper work over the next two days, going back to his normal routine. He couldn't bring himself to delete Morgana's confession, some sick part of him was still holding onto the possibility that he wasn't a terrible person after all. He also carried the flash drive everywhere with him, unable to give it to Merlin but also unable to return it to Morgana. She hadn't seemed to notice, which Mordred thought was a bit careless on her part but he said nothing. She was using him, Merlin was using him, everyone was using him. He decided he would rather be used by the cold hearted bitch who would betray her family than be used by the person he loved.

He needed to find a way to distract Merlin though. He had agreed to help Morgana and the monster inside of him craved to hurt Merlin. He had a plan but getting Merlin alone was a bit of a challenge and he decided he would ask Morgana for her assistance. When they were alone in her office he cleared his throat and approached her.

"Morgana," he started, getting her attention, "that _problem_ you asked me to take care of for you... there's something that I will need your help with." He said and began to explain his plan. He watched as that wicked sneer grew, twisting her beautiful lips into something ugly and cruel as he talked.

"Oh you are evil Mordred," She purred approvingly. Mordred smiled, shutting off the part of him that cared, swallowing back the emotion that tried to creep in.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin leaned against the wall as the elevator to the apartment closed. Arthur was still at work, the board had called an emergency meeting in response to their engagement. He told Merlin it would probably be a while and to go home, he didn't need to deal with this and he would be home soon. Merlin was reluctant but agreed; he needed to figure out what to do with Morgana. He was starting to panic; there was just no way this was going to work. He was just changing out of his work clothes (which had been a bit more formal that day) and was putting on his jeans when the phone rang.

"Mr. Emrys, there is a gentleman here to see you." The doorman said and Merlin told him to send him up. Lance was supposed to be stopping by so he figured it would just be him. He was surprised though when he came out of the bedroom in just his jeans and Mordred stepped out of the elevator.

"Mordred," he smiled. The other man had been avoiding him the last two days, only interacting with him long enough to tell him that he hadn't gotten anything from Morgana. Perhaps he was here to give him some good news.

Mordred just stared at Merlin standing in the hallway half naked; his eyes running across his sculpted chest, over the thin curve of his hips and his lips trembled when he noticed Merlin hadn't finished doing up his jeans and the fact that he was definitely not wearing briefs was painfully obvious.

"I needed to talk to you," he managed to say, his voice thick as he took in the view.

"Ok," Merlin was just smiling at him the same way he always did, as if he didn't notice Mordred's gaze which only made him angrier. Merlin walked past him, ushering him into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"

"Yes," Mordred nodded, he needed a drink badly. That stupid voice in his head was starting to get loud again, the one that told him he shouldn't be doing this. Merlin had trusted him, he had finally, _finally_ trusted him and here he was, about to betray him.

"Water?"

"Scotch?" He countered and Merlin just smiled his sweet little smile and went to the bar. He poured Merlin a glass and set two ice cubes in it before handing it to him. "Thank you," he whispered and took a large sip.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Merlin asked, sitting on the bar stool. Why didn't he put on a shirt? Or do up his jeans? Mordred was having a really hard time thinking. Was Merlin just oblivious or was he taunting him?

"I can't let you do this," he said finally and Merlin frowned in confusion.

"Do what?"

"Marry Arthur," he replied, his gaze on the floor as he waited for Merlin's response. Merlin said nothing though, just pinched his lips together and stared at Mordred. "You can't tell me that you don't feel _something_!" He insisted, stepping closer and staring into Merlin's eyes.

"Mordred, we've been through this," he said tiredly, looking down but Mordred did not miss the look in his eyes. It didn't matter if Merlin didn't feel anything anyway. Mordred just needed to talk, distract him long enough.

"No we haven't," He insisted, "I've told you how I feel but you pretend that you feel nothing when I know that you do! I can see it in your eyes, the way that you look at me. I know you feel the connection between us."

"So what if I did?" Merlin challenged, looking up to glare at Mordred. He forced away the fear that that glare caused and bit into the anger.

"Tell me I'm not crazy! I am not some pathetic little boy pining away for someone who never even noticed him. You have wanted me as long as I have wanted you." He hissed angrily, taking another step closer so that they were only a foot away. Merlin's knees were inches from grazing against Mordred's legs.

"What is the point?! I love Arthur, Mordred! I am going to marry him. It doesn't matter if I feel something for you," he continued to deny it and Mordred growled.

"It matters to _me_," he spat, "it matters to me to know that you care."

His words seemed to melt Merlin and the defensive anger he had been displaying slipped away and there was Emrys, _his_ Emrys. The man who saw his soul, who cared and Mordred clenched his jaw. He would not turn away now. It was too late to back down now; he had to finish what he started.

"Mordred," Merlin whispered and Mordred melted at the way he said his name, his voice almost a purr as his Irish broad rolled the 'r' in his name.

"Emrys," he responded, pushing Merlin's knees apart and standing between his legs as he cupped his face, tilting his head back to look at him.

"I do care," Merlin confessed, "I care about you Mordred. I do feel the connection. There is something about you that I can't place, something that... that draws me in." He admitted and Mordred wanted to scream with victory. Finally the truth! He could feel Merlin's pulse racing against his hands as he held him just under his jaw.

"Please," Mordred begged, drawing closer to brush his lips against Merlin's.

Almost everything in Merlin screamed at him to stop, to push Mordred away but a small part of him kept him from moving and made his whole body tremble. Maybe if he just let Mordred have this it would be over, he would finally come to terms with the way things were and Merlin could stop thinking about him.

"Just once..." Merlin agreed and pulled Mordred to him, pulling his lips to his own. He let out an unexpected moan against Mordred's lips. They were so soft, so cold and so hungry. Mordred responded immediately, opening his mouth to Merlin's and inviting him inside, his hands tangling into Merlin's hair and kissing him deeply. He growled as he pulled away, making Merlin gasp and his lips moved to his neck, kissing and tugging at the flesh with his teeth. He flicked the tip of his tongue against his earlobe and Merlin whimpered.

"Emyrs," he pleaded, his hands sliding from his neck to his shoulders, down his chest and exploring his body.

"Just," Merlin panted, trying to think clearly, "Just this once and then it's over. This is goodbye," he stammered and Mordred pulled away to look into his eyes. He drew in a sharp breath at the tears in his eyes.

"Then it will be a goodbye to remember," he swallowed and pulled Merlin up, lifting him onto the counter and standing between his legs, kissing him again. Merlin's brain screamed at him to stop, this had to stop_ now_ but he couldn't. He was becoming more and more aware of just how badly he had really wanted this. The guilt threatened to take over but just at that moment, Mordred pulled his hips to his own and he could feel Mordred's erection hard against him and all thought was lost. He could taste Mordred's tears as they spilled down his cheeks and into their mouths and he felt his own tears sliding down, mixing with Mordred's.

Merlin's hands slipped up Mordred's waist, going under his shirt and feeling the scared flesh he had been denying himself. In one elegant movement, Mordred pulled his shirt off and Merlin stared. His fingers trailed over the black streaks of the tattoo he had only caught a glimpse of before as he reached over his shoulders. He looked down; his torso was littered with scars of all different shapes and sizes, some round and looked like burns, others long and straight. He wondered where they came from as he let his hands roam over him. He looked at the script tattoo that ran over his ribs on his right side. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Mordred's nipple, his tongue flicking out to tease the ring and tug it between his teeth. Mordred moaned and pressed his body harder against Merlin's body, his hands moving down to his thighs and gripping tightly.

"Merlin?" The voice came from the doorway and Merlin quickly pulled away to see Arthur standing there, his face a mixture of disgust and pain.


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Five

Arthur was moving before Merlin or Mordred could react. Merlin winced as his fist made contact across Mordred's face, a loud crack filling the silence. Mordred fell backwards, falling over the bar stool and crashing to the floor.

"Get out!"He roared his face twisted with rage. Mordred stumbled up, blood running from his mouth and nose. He spit a large mouthful of blood onto the floor and looked at Merlin with a look that made him want to puke. There was a look of satisfaction, as if he had proven himself right about something.

"Goodbye Emrys," He said a tone of finality to his words as he grabbed his shirt and left in the elevator. The flat was painfully silent as Arthur stared at Merlin, his eyes boring holes into Merlin's head as he stared at the floor.

"Look at me," he spat and Merlin reluctantly brought up his face to look at Arthur.

"Arthur, I'm so sorry..." He gulped and Arthur's lip twitched.

"I don't understand," Arthur started, his hands trembling as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I thought that there was nothing to worry about."

"There isn't!" Merlin quickly said, standing up and doing up his pants. When had those come undone?

"Apparently there is!" He yelled back, indicating his pants and shirtless body, "Clearly I should have been worried!"

"Nothing happened-"

"That's what you call nothing?" Arthur gaped, ready to throttle Merlin. "Explain yourself!"

"I don't know what to say," he sobbed, collapsing onto a bar stool and burying his face in his hands. "I don't know what happened."

"Do you love him?" He asked, hands on his hips as he stopped pacing to hear his answer.

"No," he shook his head, he didn't love him.

"But you want him?"

"Yes... no, I don't know," he shook his head.

"I thought you had dealt with this. I was patient with you Merlin when you told me that you needed to sort out your feelings before. I trusted you-" his voice broke on those last words, "and you broke that trust."

"I know," he cried, "I'm so sorry."

"Do you want to marry me?" He asked again, but this time it was not a question asked out of love but out of fear.

"Yes!" He sobbed and Arthur growled and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.

"Then explain to me why you were snogging Mordred!" He screamed shaking him and Merlin shook like a rag doll in his hands.

"Arthur you're hurting me," he whimpered and Arthur immediately let go.

"Get out," he hissed.

"What?" Merlin looked up at through wide tearful eyes.

"Get the fuck out, right now, before I break your face too." He spat with disgust and Merlin just stood there in disbelief. "NOW Merlin! Get your shit and go!"

o.O.o.O.o

Morgana's car was parked just past the apartment building as planned. Mordred slid into the passenger seat, still wiping at the blood on his face.

"I take it Arthur caught you in a very compromising position?" Morgana sneered.

"Indeed," He nodded his voice nasally from what he suspected to be a broken nose.

"Everything go according to plan?" She asked as she started to drive away.

"Yes," he nodded. "Arthur's chucked Merlin out, I watched him leave from the alley." He explained and Morgana smiled.

"Good. That should keep Merlin distracted long enough that we can finish things up." She said happily and Mordred just looked out the window. He already regretted his actions.

He stood in his bathroom, washing his face in cold water after snapping his nose back into place. It wasn't the first time he'd broken his nose and he didn't think it'd be last. It still hurt like a bitch though. He stared at his bruised reflection in the mirror and felt nothing but pure hatred. He had gone too far this time, there would be no fixing this now. The look of hurt in Merlin's eyes has broken anything good left in Mordred. He never liked Arthur but he even felt guilty over hurting the ape. Outraged with himself, with what was in the mirror, he reached up and punched the glass, making it shatter all around him. He drew in a deep breath, revelling in the pain that was shooting up his arm. He smiled satisfactorily and looked at the blood on his hand. He pulled a piece of glass out and then began rinsing it off, letting the pain wash over him and block out everything. Once the pain dulled he grabbed the hand towel and wrapped it around his hand.

Well, he thought, there was no pointing dwelling on what he'd done. It was too late now, he had made his choice and there was no going back. It may have been the wrong decision, but there wasn't anything he could do. He thought about Merlin, his thoughts drifting to the heated kiss, the hunger that Merlin had grabbed at him with. He wondered if he would have stopped if Arthur hadn't come home. It scared Mordred to think that he would have done what he did regardless of Merlin's response. Arthur had to catch them kissing, not just kissing but passionately kissing in order for his plan to work. A part of him wished that Morgana had made Arthur wait longer so that Mordred could have seen how far Merlin was willing to go with him.

He splashed cool water on his face one more time before drying himself and leaving the bathroom. Tomorrow at work would be incredibly awkward; he needed to figure out how he was going to approach the situation.

o.O.o.O.o

Lance and Gwen were just getting into bed, his hands removing her shirt when the doorbell rang. They both groaned; it had been way too long since they'd seen each other. Reluctantly, Lance pulled his pants back on and went downstairs. He could see Merlin standing on the porch through the glass and when he opened the door, Merlin turned to him, puffy eyed and tear streaked face.

"Merlin?" Lance frowned and moved aside, inviting him.

"I'm so sorry to just barge in on you like this," He cried.

"Merlin!" Gwen exclaimed as she came down the stairs, tying her robe around her.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry guys," he sniffed and Gwen pulled him into a hug.

"Nonsense! What's wrong?" She asked, looking at Lance over Merlin's shoulder as she hugged him. Lance pointed to the suitcase and her face fell even more.

"Arthur kicked me out," he sobbed.

"What?!" They both exclaimed and he started crying even harder.

"It's ok," Lance gripped his shoulder, "come inside, we'll make you some tea."

"Thanks," he sniffed as they led him down the hall into the kitchen. Gwen sat with Merlin at the kitchen table, seemingly producing tissues out of thin air and handing them to him as Lance went about making tea.

"Tell us what happened," Gwen cooed, rubbing his back.

"Mordred," was all Merlin was able to say before breaking down in sobs even further. At the mention of Mordred, Lance nearly dropped the cups he was holding and he and Gwen looked at each other knowingly.

"What has Mordred done?" Lance asked, getting prepared to go over and beat the shit out of him.

"It was both of us," Merlin sniffed, "oh god, I've messed up so badly."

"No…" Lance shook his head; no Merlin wouldn't put himself in that situation _again_.

"I did," he confirmed and looked up to meet Lance's eyes, fully prepared for him to punch him the way Arthur hit Mordred. "He came over to talk about… about," he paused looking at Gwen.

"She knows everything," Lance said, giving Merlin permission to speak freely.

"Or I thought he came over to talk about it anyway… I assumed that's why when he showed up but then he started saying how he couldn't let me marry Arthur," his voice broke as he paused to try and regain control over himself. "I don't know what I was thinking… I kissed him." He confessed, burying his face in his hands.

"No Merlin," Gwen said brokenly, "why would you do that?"

"I don't know! I just…" he shook his head, there was no explaining this. "And then Arthur came home and saw us and he hit Mordred and threw me out."

"I'm so sorry," Gwen sympathized, rubbing his back, "you can stay here tonight. I'm sure everything will be ok once Arthur calms down."

"K," he sniffed, sipping the tea Lance set in front of him.

"You can stay as long as you need to," Lance assured him, "I'll talk to Arthur tomorrow."

"K," he repeated and sighed heavily, having cried himself into exhaustion. "I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Ok, I'll take you to the guest room," Gwen smiled and walked with Merlin upstairs and into the second bedroom that was also Lance's office. She made up the pullout bed as Merlin changed and brushed his teeth.

"Thanks again," he said, a little more composed.

"No problem. Goodnight Merlin," Gwen kissed his cheeks and then left the room, closing the door behind her. Merlin sighed heavily and curled up under the blankets. He lay there, staring at the ring on his finger until he cried himself to sleep.

o.O.o.O.o

Merlin was so tempted to not go into work the next day. The idea of having to face Arthur was overwhelming. Luckily, he wouldn't be starting as his assistant again until next week and it was Thursday, so he had some time to figure things out. He wondered if Arthur would change his mind about having him as his assistant again. Then again, being demoted wasn't exactly ideal in Merlin's opinion anyway so he wouldn't mind too much.

He did go into work though. In the shower he had discovered a love bite on his neck that Mordred had left and Lance had to convince him again to come into work. He covered it with a neckerchief, attempting to cover his shame as well as the mark. He would have to see Mordred today as well and by the time they got to the office, Merlin had again convinced himself he shouldn't be going in. He hid in Lance's office for an hour before Lance finally kicked him out and made him get to work.

Slowly, Merlin made his way to his office. He poked his head around the corner to see if Mordred was at his desk or not and sighed with relief when he saw he wasn't. He quickly walked passed and into his office, shutting the door behind him in a rush. He drew out a long breath and closed his eyes. How the hell was he going to get anything done?

The phone rang and he scrambled to his desk to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Merlin?" Freya responded from the other end.

"Freya! Hey, how are you?" He asked, disentangling himself from the wires and sitting down at his desk.

"Not good, where's the drive? Merlin I have one week to create a program to stop this thing. I need that drive." She reminded him rather forcefully and Merlin rubbed his face.

"I know, I'll get it." He promised. She muttered a few more things before hanging up and leaving Merlin with the sinking feeling that everything was going to be lost. He drew in a deep breath. He might lose Arthur, but he wouldn't let Arthur lose Camelot. He got up and headed out, checking to see again if Mordred was at his desk. He still wasn't there so Merlin checked Morgana's office. They must have been at a meeting he thought as he snuck inside.

Morgana's purse hung over her jacket on the coat hook. He glanced over his shoulder quickly before grabbing it and opening it up. He looked through the entire thing, checking all the pockets, opening her wallet even to check but there was no flash drive.

"Fuck," he hissed and put everything back in. He hung it up and quickly slipped back out of the office just in time as Morgana and Mordred rounded the corner.

"Merlin!" She grinned, "I'm surprised to see you here today." She said, narrowing her eyes with a knowing look.

"Well, couldn't exactly not come in," he mumbled, glancing at Mordred. Mordred wouldn't meet his eyes but the evidence of what they had done was all over his face. His nose was bruised, the bruise reaching underneath both eyes and Merlin could tell Arthur had broken his nose.

"Well," She smirked as she watched Merlin take in Mordred's broken face, "there is some work that I need you and Mordred to do." She informed him and Merlin could tell Mordred was just as surprised as he was by this news.

"What is it?" He asked and they followed her into her office.

"I need you to go check on the construction status as the Baymore building," she explained. The Baymore was a call center that they had bought recently and they were in the process of renovating.

"Ok," Merlin sighed, he hated going on site and this particular location was an hour drive to Headington.

"Excellent, you should get going." She instructed and the two men walked out of the office in silence.

"I'm going to get my coat." Merlin said before Mordred could say anything. "Come on," he said moments later, walking to the elevator.

"Merlin," Mordred started but the look Merlin gave him made him pause. They got into the elevator and road down in silence. They got in Mordred's car a few minutes later and headed out.

"Are you ok?" Mordred finally asked, glancing over at Merlin who was clearly still struggling to keep his emotions under control.

"No," he shook his head and looked over at Mordred, "are you? Is your nose ok?"

"It's not the first time I've broken my nose, I'll be fine." He said, sounding a lot colder than he meant to but he couldn't allow himself worry about Merlin.

"K," Merlin sniffed and Mordred tightened his hands on the wheel. He didn't think he could handle if Merlin broken down and started crying.

"Did he hurt you? After I left?" He asked suddenly.

"No," Merlin shook his head, "not really."

"What do you mean 'not really'?" He asked; worry seeping its way into him anyway.

"He didn't hurt me, just yelled and kicked me out." Merlin admitted and Mordred let out the breath he had been holding. He knew Arthur had thrown him out, but if he had hurt Merlin because of what Mordred had done, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He almost laughed out loud at that thought; he wasn't doing such a good job of living with himself anyway.

"I'm sorry," He said barely above a whisper. He hadn't meant to say it, hadn't meant to apologize but the guilt was just too much.

"It's not your fault," Merlin replied, sighing and wiping at his eyes.

"Yes it is."

"No, you can't be blamed for how you feel. You can't control who you fall for." He corrected and Mordred shook his head.

"I still shouldn't have put you in that position."

"Why did you?" Merlin asked, looking at him.

"I don't know," He lied, not being able to look back at Merlin so he pretended to be concentrating really hard on the road. "Why did you kiss me back?" He countered.

"I don't know," He said with a shrug, "It was a mistake." His words cut through Mordred more than he liked. Mistake. He was a mistake.

"Well you should talk to Arthur. I'm sure he'll understand that." Mordred replied a little too bitterly.

"Would you?" He countered. "Would you forgive me if the positions were reversed?"

"Of course," he said which was true and glanced at Merlin.

"Why?"

"Don't you get it Merlin?" He asked, using Merlin's first name, "I would do anything for you. If you told me you wanted both me and Arthur, I would be willing to share you with him. If you told me to leave, to get out of your life…" He gulped; the idea of not having Merlin in his life at all was too painful. Then again, he was pretty much making sure that happened. "I would walk away, if that's what you wanted." He stole a glance at Merlin who was shaking his head and looking out the window, tears in his eyes again. He gripped the steering wheel tighter to avoid reaching out and touching him.

"I don't think Arthur will see it the same way." He said finally.

"What you did, what _we_ did, isn't unforgivable… at least… not your part in it." He managed to say. Why did he keep trying to help Merlin? This was ridiculous. He needed to stop going back and forth with this, stop loving him and hating him and decide. The anger at how Merlin had used him flared and he remembered how Merlin didn't really care, he couldn't care. At the same time, his words came back from last night saying that he did care. Mordred wanted to drive off the road, he was so frustrated.

"Arthur doesn't trust people easily…. Just like you," Merlin tried to explain, "What I did wasn't just about kissing you. If it had just been a kiss then he could forgive me."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that he knows it was more than a kiss, knows that it would have… have gone a lot farther if he hadn't shown up when he did. He knows that I care about you a lot more than I should."

Mordred tried to process what Merlin was saying.

"Anyway," Merlin let out a sigh, "let's not talk about that. How are things coming along with Morgana? I looked in her purse this morning but I didn't find the drive." He announced and Mordred snap his head to him.

"You what?"

"I looked in her purse. You said the usb stick was in her purse so I went in and checked." He repeated.

"She must have moved it," he lied and nervously shifted, trying to feel the stick in his pocket to make sure it was still there. Apparently his plan to distract Merlin wasn't exactly working out so well. Damn, he was like a dog with a bone!

"We're really running out of time. I can't let this happen to Arthur and everyone else. It isn't just about him. _Everyone_ will lose their jobs, everyone! Do you have any idea how many people work at Camelot?" He questioned and Mordred shook his head.

"A lot?"

"In London, over three hundred people will lose their jobs. In LA, just under 250 and in Rome, another 200 will lose their jobs." He informed Mordred. "Nearly a thousand people will be out of a job in two weeks."

"Camelot might not totally collapse," Mordred tried to find some possible way that this might be true.

"It will. Arthur is the company's CEO and will end up in jail, Morgana will disappear and I assume Morgause will too, which means that's a huge chunk of the board-just gone. The 10 million pounds that she'll get away with will be large enough to at the very least, shut down the London office. We won't have any way to pay employees. Not to mention the fact that they will freeze all of Camelot's accounts during the investigation anyway! I mean, who even cares about Arthur at this point?" Merlin ranted, "Obviously I do but he's just one person in nearly a thousand people who will be out of a job. That's families, children's parents who depend on them to support them. Arthur probably won't be the only one blamed either so more innocent people will go to jail. The economy is already bad enough but now we're suddenly throwing in a couple hundred unemployed people into it. They won't be able to find jobs, sure some will, but a lot won't. I've seen this happen, not due to fraud but because Camelot shut down the factory where I grew up. My village is hardly a village anymore there's no one there! Fifty eight employees killed themselves, including my best friend's father. Over a hundred of them lost their homes." Merlin went on passionately and Mordred was feeling increasingly sicker. He had just been thinking about getting back at Merlin and Arthur, everyone else was just collateral damage but hearing Merlin talk about it like this was making it too real. Maybe he had a point? He clenched his jaw, listening as Merlin continued talking about the devastation that this would cause and he wrestled with the choice he had.


	37. Chapter 36 and 37

**AN: So here it is, the much waited for final chapters! Chapter Thirty Six turned out to be so short that I just added chapter thirty seven into this post as well. I think I've finally concluded Camelot Inc. 307 pages and 120807 words later, it's finally ended. I'm not sure if I should be sad or not, although it does feel like a natural conclusion... I'm debating doing an epilogue or not, guess I'll wait for the reviews! **

**Just want to say thank you to everyone who's been reading and for all the wonderful reviews! It means a lot to me to that anyone has even taken the time out of their lives to read this little story let alone review it. So thank you for your support and I hope to see you on my other stories!**

Chapter Thirty Six

It was Friday and Mordred had finally made a decision. He wasn't at all happy with it, but at least he didn't hate himself for it. He arrived early at work that morning, walking down to Gwaine's office and waiting for him. At five to nine, Gwaine showed up, stopping in the hallway when he saw Mordred standing outside his door.

"Mordred," He muttered. He had been told about what happened between him and Merlin but unlike Lance and everyone else, he wasn't taking a position of total hatred for the boy. After all, he knew exactly how painful it was to be in love with someone who didn't love you back and he had to admit, Merlin had been stringing him along all year.

"Gwaine," Mordred replied and waited as Gwaine unlocked his office and they both stepped inside.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, setting his travel mug of coffee down and removing his jacket.

"I need to give you something, to help with the problem," he explained and pulled out his phone and USB. He texted the recording to him and handed over the USB. "Don't tell Merlin that I gave this to you."

"Where am I supposed to say it came from?" He asked, taking it from Mordred.

"I don't know. Tell him you overheard Morgana and me talking, that I was planning on helping her just like I say on the tape. Tell him... tell him that what I did... I was trying to distract him and... and to hurt Arthur, to take that one last thing from him." He explained shamefully and Gwaine frowned.

"Is that true?" He questioned.

"Yea," He replied, nodding, "I'm not a good person Gwaine, but I regret what I did and I'm sorry. Hopefully you can get this to his friend and stop it in time."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye Gwaine," he said and turned, walking away. He had one more stop before he was done. He got back in the elevator and waited as it took him to the ninth floor where Arthur's new office was located. From what Mordred could gather, Arthur hadn't spoken to Merlin since that night and was avoiding him like the plague. It was safe to assume he'd be shut away in his office.

"Come in," Arthur shouted from behind the door in a tone that clearly meant 'go the fuck away'. Mordred opened it and closed it behind him. He held his breath as he waited for Arthur took up.

"_You!_" He spat when he realized it was Mordred, "get out."

"No," Mordred held his ground and took a couple steps forward, "I need to talk to you."

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say." He growled angrily and Mordred nodded.

"I know but you need to listen anyway." He held up his hands, "I'm sorry alright? I'm sorry for the last nine months, the way that I have been with Merlin. I knew you two were together the entire time and I... I didn't care."

"Great," Arthur stood up and Mordred took a step back, not wanting to repeat the nose breaking.

"Look I confused Merlin ok? He might like me on some level, but he doesn't love me. He loves you and what happened between us... that was a mistake and we both know that but it was a mistake that I started." He tried to explain.

"I appreciate you coming here and apologizing Mordred," Arthur said, his shoulders slumping slightly and losing their threatening look, "but whether or not you feel like it was your fault, Merlin still made the choice to... to snog you."

"I know," Mordred sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "but he loves you. I'm leaving, I think it's best that I don't stick around. Give Merlin another chance. We both know how incredible he is, despite his flaws which are few, he's still Merlin and no one can just stop loving Merlin." With that, he left Arthur's office, letting him think over what he said before he could argue him.

He left the office quietly, not wanting anyone to spot him leaving the building. He had one more stop before he could disappear. Mordred waited until Morgana had left before returning to their flat. He had packed his things the night before, so it only took him a couple minutes to load up his car. He went back inside for one last look around and to also grab the cash he knew Morgana hid around the place for emergencies. Stupid on her part, he thought, and probably not very nice of him but he didn't care, he would need it. He had already done some of the worst things he could imagine, taking a few thousand pounds from a millionaire was hardly something to cry over.

Taking one last look at the place, he drew in a deep breath and got in his car and head to the airport.

o.O.o.O.o

Gwaine called Lance and Merlin as soon as Mordred left. He would keep his promise to Mordred and tell them that he had just broken into Morgana's office early that morning and found the USB drive in her desk.

"How did you get the recording?" Merlin asked after hearing it, his stomach twisting with disgust at what Mordred had done.

"I overheard them talking in their office last night when they thought no one was listening." He lied, hoping no one would notice the flaws in his statement.

"At least we have it," Merlin sighed with relief, "if Freya can't stop it, the least we can do is prove that Arthur is innocent." The three of them smiled at each other. Merlin called Freya and she picked up the drive that afternoon.

After Freya left, Merlin was sitting in his office when Arthur knocked on the door and stepped inside.

"Arthur," Merlin immediately stood up and looked at his fiancé.

"We need to talk," He managed, looking at the floor uncomfortably. He hadn't anticipated it being this difficult to look at him.

"Ok," Merlin didn't question it, didn't want to do anything to upset Arthur so he just stood behind his desk, looking at him and waiting.

"Do you love me?" He finally asked, looking up from the floor.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation, "with all of my heart, Arthur I love you." He moved from around the desk but stopped half way to him, not wanting to move too fast. Arthur looked at him, searching Merlin's eyes for any sign of doubt or lies. "I am so sorry Arthur," he said again, trying to hold back the tears. Arthur closed the distance between them and pulled Merlin into his arms.

"I forgive you," he said as he buried his face in Merlin's neck. "Don't ever do that to me again though."

"I won't, I promise," Merlin cried, kissing Arthur's neck and holding him tightly. Arthur moved his mouth so that he could find Merlin's lips, kissing him hesitantly at first but eventually he had missed him too much and he was passionately kissing him in moments.

"Arthur," Merlin breathed as they pulled away and he slipped his hands up to run through his hair, "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing his lips once more before pulling away. "Come home tonight?"

"Absolutely."

"We'll pick up your things from Lance's on the way home," he informed and kissed him again. Merlin grinned ear to ear.

"Ok," he kissed him back.

"I have to get back to work." Arthur finally whispered, pulling away from Merlin's mouth again.

"K," Merlin grinned and watched Arthur walk out. He couldn't believe what just happened, he felt all the worry, all the stress evaporate and was left feeling giddy. Arthur had forgiven him, everything was going to be ok.

Chapter Thirty Eight

The next couple of days went by in a blur of anxiety and relief for Merlin. He returned home with Arthur and never before had he felt so relieved than he did when he fell asleep that night in his arms. Of course, forgiving Merlin and actually moving past the incident with Mordred were two different things and Merlin knew it was going to take Arthur a while to trust him again. He wasn't dumb enough to believe that everything between them was right as rain again but at least they were getting somewhere now. He also wasn't about to complain when Arthur took him harder than he ever had before, leaving several bruises across his body and making it nearly impossible for Merlin to walk the next day. He was more than ok with the way Arthur wanted to work through the problem and said nothing about any discomfort he might have been in afterwards.

The anxiety though gnawed away at Merlin as he waited for Freya to come up with a counter-virus. After the initial happiness that Arthur wasn't going to leave him dissipated, he realized they were getting far too close for comfort. When Morgana claimed she needed to go to LA to check on things at that office, Merlin had to put his head between his knees and take deep breaths to avoid a panic attack. Mordred had disappeared, apparently he quit and Merlin was pretty sure that that was part of the plan with Morgana and then she left too. They were obviously leaving town, going to whatever hiding places they had set up to wait for the virus to do its work and Camelot was running out of time.

"Hello?" Merlin tiredly said into the phone. He glanced over at Arthur to check if he had woken up and was relieved when he saw he hadn't. He glanced at the clock; it was just after two am Monday night.

"I did it!" Freya screamed into the phone making Merlin wince and hold the phone away from his ear.

"Did what?" He groggily asked and then bolted up when her words sank in. "You did it?! You actually did it!?"

"I did! I got it and bloody hell I'm a fucking GOD!" She shouted triumphantly and Merlin scrambled out of bed, tripping on the sheets before catching himself and making his way into the hallway.

"That's amazing! Oh my god Freya, thank you!" He wanted to cry he was so relieved.

"One problem though," she said, effectively popping the happy bubble Merlin was in.

"What?"

"It's gonna take a long time to upload to the network and correct everything, like, a really long time. You should start it as soon as possible." She advised and Merlin chewed his lip.

"How long? Should Lance and I come pick it up now? Can it wait until morning?" He asked although he wasn't going to be able to wait until morning anyways. He wanted this over as soon as possible.

"I suppose, but I'm at your flat to drop it off." Said Freya and Merlin grinned.

"I'll be down in two minutes."

o.O.o.O.o

When Freya left after nearly being squished to death by Merlin's endless hugging, he called Lance.

"This had better be good," Lance growled into the phone and Merlin grinned ear to ear.

"Oh it is," he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "she did it, Freya just dropped it off. We can stop it Lance!" He was nearly bursting with excitement. He wanted to get this uploaded immediately, he didn't care that it was nearly three am; he just wanted this to be over.

"That's great," mumbled Lance tiredly.

"We need to upload it immediately though, it takes a while to upload and it also takes awhile to actually go through everything."

"Ok, I'll come pick you up," he said, unsuccessfully stifling a yawn.

"Great, I'll be outside." Merlin hung up and went back up the elevator. He padded down the hallway as quietly as he could manage, listening for Arthur's snores. He paused outside the door, holding his breath until he heard a particularly loud snore and then silently opened the door. He found a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled that Lance had an emergency and that he would be back by seven at the latest. Then he grabbed his bag, pulled on his shoes and went back down the elevator. It took Lance another five minutes before he pulled up to the curb. Merlin promptly climbed inside and held up the new USB stick.

"Is that it?" Lance asked, putting his car into gear and pulling back onto the deserted street.

"Yea," Merlin nodded and looked at it, "I can't believe it's almost over."

"Neither can I. I just hope that this works."

They drove in silence, both tired but anxious to get there. When they did arrive at Camelot, Lance stayed in the car while Merlin went inside. He told the security guard that he had forgotten an important file in his office and then went directly to Arthur's office. Merlin slipped inside and closed the door behind him. He quickly went to his computer, turned it on and waited. This was it, this was the final moment and when it was uploaded, it would all be over. He had managed to get Arthur back and now he just needed to secure Camelot. He let out a shaky breath as he logged onto his computer and pushed the USB stick into the drive. The folder opened and Merlin clicked on the program, Anti-Camlann. He watched as it started to upload and grinned. He would get it in the morning before Arthur came into his office.

"Did you get it?" Lance asked as Merlin got back into the car.

"Yea, it's uploading now." He said and buckled his seatbelt. "Let's just hope that it uploads before Arthur gets in. Otherwise he'll see it and we'll have to explain to him why we didn't tell him about Morgana's plan."

"Why didn't we?" He asked, glancing over at Merlin.

"We wanted definite proof and then Uther died and Arthur was overwhelmed with taking over the company. We still didn't have any proof until recently anyway and there would have been no point in telling him without a way to fix it." He answered and Lance nodded.

"Right, so are we going to tell him now?"

"I guess, but maybe we should wait until it works?"

"No, I think he might murder us if we did that," Lance stated honestly, "I mean I would if I were him."

"True," Merlin agreed, "suppose we should tell him then."

"I think it would be a good idea now." He advised and Merlin nodded his agreement. Lance dropped him off at home, wished him good luck and then drove away. Merlin watched him go and then turned back and went inside. He rode the lift up, mulling over what he would say to Arthur in the morning. He was expecting Arthur to still be asleep but when the lift opened, the kitchen lights were on and Arthur was sitting at the bar.

"Hey," Merlin greeted weakly.

"Everything with Lance ok?" Arthur asked before finishing his glass of water.

"Uh yea, Lance is fine. What are you doing up?" Merlin walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, trying to decide if now was the best time or not.

Arthur shrugged, "I got thirsty and then you weren't here so I thought I'd stay up and wait."

"Oh, that was sweet," he smiled and leaned across the island to kiss him gently. Arthur smiled back and winked at him. "There's something we should talk about though," Merlin's smile faded as he looked at him nervously.

"What?" Arthur asked hesitantly and Merlin could tell he was afraid Merlin was going to confess something terrible, probably about Mordred.

"There's something I should have told you," He started and Arthur shifted anxiously.

"About Mordred?"

"No," he shook his head and leaned against the counter, "about Morgana." He slowly started to explain what had been going on for the past five months. He thought it would be easier but he couldn't help but feel guilty for hiding the truth from Arthur for so long.

"How could you not tell me?!" Arthur roared when Merlin had finished.

"We didn't have any proof! Would you seriously have believed us if we came to you saying that Morgana was behind all this?" He replied calmly and Arthur shook his head in frustration.

"I thought we agreed on no more secrets?"

"We did and I'm telling you," Merlin frowned, this really wasn't going as planned. "Morgana's already left for LA, she's probably skipping town though. The updated program is uploading now and everything will be ok."

"And if Freya hadn't been able to create the program?" He shot back, hands on his hips.

"I don't know," he said honestly, "but I couldn't tell you before. Think about it Arthur. If it became public knowledge that Camelot's security had been breached and that HM was investigating, what do you think would have happened? If we had told you, you would have gone to the authorities right away without a second thought but then Morgana still would have won. Camelot's reputation would have been ruined and with Uther's death, that was the last thing you needed." He explained and slowly Arthur started to realize the truth in his words. He didn't like it, he hated the fact that he had been left out but he could at least acknowledge that Merlin was right.

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, "ok, you're right. So now what?"

"Now we wait for the program to do its work," Merlin let out a relieved sigh and walked around the island to stand in front of Arthur. He reached out with his hands and rubbed his shoulders, letting his fingers knit into the hair at the base of his neck. "It will be alright. Freya's program will work and once it's done, we can deal with Morgana."

"What are we going to do?" Arthur asked, pulling Merlin to him and resting his forehead against his.

"I don't know, I think it's up to you." He replied quietly and closed his eyes.

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I can't believe that she would do this to me," he said sadly.

"I know, but she's allowed her bitterness to consume her." Merlin said with a sigh and buried his face in Arthur's neck. Arthur's hands slipped around Merlin as he hugged him.

"Maybe I shouldn't do anything. Let her think that she's won, let her get away." He said carefully as he considered his options. The idea of having to turn her into the authorities made him sick. No matter what she'd done, she was still his sister and he couldn't turn his back on that. He also couldn't let her get off scot free. He sighed and kissed Merlin's neck. He would have to talk to her but not until he was sure she had lost.

Morning came quickly. Merlin and Arthur weren't able to go back to sleep but stayed up and watched TV. When it was finally ready to go to work, they both hustled and headed in a little bit early as they both wanted the check on the progress. They slipped into Arthur's office and were relieved when it showed that it had completely uploaded.

"So now what?" Arthur asked, looking over at Merlin.

"I guess it just does what it's supposed to do. Freya said it'll take awhile though, I'm assuming several hours." He said vaguely.

"How will we know it's done?"

Merlin shrugged, "I guess it'll pop up saying it's been completed?"

"That's helpful," he teased and Merlin stuck out his tongue.

"Let me know when it's done!" He said as he walked to the door, "I have phone calls to make on your behalf," he winked and left. Arthur watched him go and once he was gone he turned back to his computer. He opened up his email and typed in Morgana's email address. He needed to say something to her but he wasn't entirely sure what. What could he possibly say to someone who betrayed him so deeply?

He rubbed his face and leaned back in his chair, staring at the blank screen in front of him. Arthur thought back to the first time he met Morgana. She had just lost her mother and was so incredibly angry at Uther. She trashed her room; broke everything that could possibly be broken, she screamed and shouted and he remembered thinking that she was completely mad. He never thought he would ever like her or enjoy spending time with her but eventually he came to love her. He wouldn't admit this to anyone, but it was nice having her around. She was his sister and he had loved her and wanted to protect her from everything. Unfortunately, he couldn't protect her from Uther; they were both helpless to their father's demands. It was rare, but there were times when Uther's anger was taken out physically on them but hardly ever on Morgana. That was one thing Arthur had made sure to protect her from. He closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, wondering when it was that her hurt had turned to hatred and why she hated him so much. Thinking about what she had done made his insides twist painfully and his breath catch. She was the only family he had left and now she had completely betrayed him. He sighed heavily and opened his eyes and leaned forward.

_Dear Morgana,_ he started. He went on to write everything he had been feeling, somehow managing to put it into words. He knew if he had had to have this conversation with her in person, he would never be able to articulate himself nearly as well as he was in the email. When he had written everything, Arthur saved the draft for later. He would send it after the program was done.

The program finished just after twelve o-clock in the afternoon. Just as Merlin thought, a box popped up on the screen saying "Camelot is safe now, Camlann has been destroyed". Arthur called Merlin, Lance and Gwaine into his office and they all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"So it's done then?" Gwaine asked and Merlin nodded.

"Yea,"

"I wonder what Morgana's doing..." Lance thought out loud and the others fell silent as they wondered the same.

Morgana was sitting on a long chair, the gentle lull of the ocean lapped at the shore and the hot Brazilian sun hung high in the air. Morgause was on her way and any minute now, she would get the confirmation that Camlann had completed its task and Camelot would be ruined. She felt giddy with excitement when her tablet beeped. She lifted her sunglasses up and opened the tablet but what she saw made her stomach drop and the blood leave her face.

_For the love of Camelot!_ A mouse in a suit of armor shouted and then laughed on her screen.

"What the hell?" She shouted out loud and sat up straight, "No... no..." She shook her head and quickly opened up the bank accounts she had set up and screamed when they remained empty. "No!" She shrieked angrily.

_New Email_ another message popped up and out of habit, she clicked on it. Her mouth dried as the email from Arthur was titled "Goodbye Morgana". She drew in a deep breath, held her chin high and opened the email.

_Dear Morgana,_

_I've just been informed about what you have been planning all year and I don't know what to say. I suppose I can understand your anger towards Uther, after all, he wasn't the kind of father either of us deserved. I know that he hurt you, a lot. He rejected you and didn't give you the love that a father should have and for that, I am sincerely sorry. I wish that I could have changed that but unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about the past. _

_Do you really hate me that much? Are you really that full of resentment that you would try to destroy Camelot? I can forgive you for betraying me. I know that Uther never treated us equally and after everything, I understand why you would want to hurt me. But I cannot forgive what you have tried to do to everyone else here. Your actions would have not only destroyed my life, but the lives of thousands of others. Camelot may have been nothing to you, but to the people that work here it is their livelihood. There are good people here, innocent people who have not wronged you in any way and yet you would have seen them lose everything. I cannot forgive that and I am sorry for that. I am sorry for everything that Uther did. I am sorry for the heartbreak and the pain and I forgive you for what you've done to me. _

_A friend of Merlin's created a program to reverse everything that your virus, Camlann, did. All the documents that have been corrupted and altered have been corrected. All the money you tried to take has been returned and all traces of Camlann in the network have been destroyed. Of course, that was after it gathered all the evidence of tampering and securely saved it. I also have a recording of you confessing your plan to Mordred and I will hold onto it in case you decide to ever show your face in England again. If you come near me, Merlin or anyone who works at Camelot again, I will be sending everything to the authorities. I suggest you stay gone, Morgana. I hope you some day find happiness._

_Goodbye dear sister._

_Sincerely,_

_Arthur_

The End.

**AN: If you feel like this ending was too abrupt, or incomplete, please let me know. I'm not sure how I feel about it myself, so hearing other people's opinions would help. And of course, if you all don't like it, I promise to give you an epilogue. **


	38. Epilogue

**AN: Ok so this is a third attempt to upload this epilogue. It's starting to get annoying. **

**I started writing this and then saw everyone's reviews and I'm glad you all agree that it needs one last part. So here it is, I hope this is the happy ending you're looking for**

Epilogue

Seven Months Later...

Merlin let out a shaky breath as he stared at his reflection in the full length mirror. He was in one of the bedrooms at the Pendragon estate, waiting. Waiting was the worst, it drove him mad and he couldn't decide if he wanted to pace, run or sit still he was so anxious. He settled for smoothing out invisible wrinkles in his tux and attempting to tame the mop of hair.

"You look fine," Will said from behind him, offering him a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure? I feel like it was a mistake to go for a tux." He replied as he adjusted the cerulean cravat and smoothed out the white vest.

"Yes, I'm sure. You look stunning," he insisted and walked over to Merlin and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Merlin grinned at him in the mirror.

"Have I said thank you for being here? For agreeing to be my best man and walking me down the aisle?" He asked, turning to fix Will's blue tie.

"Yes, about a dozen times and have I told you that it's the least I could do?" He countered and grabbed Merlin's hands to stop him from fidgeting.

"Yea," he smiled and drew in a deep breath. "What time is it?"

"Uh," he shook his arm to reveal his watch, "You're on in twenty."

"Ok... would it be ok if I took a minute alone?" He bit his lip worriedly and Will rolled his eyes.

"Of course, but if you get cold feet—you come find me, I'll steal the getaway car." He teased with a wink.

"Oi get out of here," Merlin threw a box of tissues at him, making him laugh and quickly leave the room. Merlin was still grinning when he turned back to the mirror.

"Well this is it," He said to himself. He looked down at the engagement ring and twisted it around. He was finally marrying Arthur. The whole affair was a lot bigger than he would have liked. There would be press after the ceremony, hundreds of people here that he didn't know. The only people Merlin had invited was a handful of family friends from Ealdor and then Will and Freya. Arthur only wanted Lance, Gwaine, Percy, Leon and a few other coworkers there but he was obligated to invite what seemed like the entire company. Merlin wasn't about to complain though. After everything they had been through, he was willing to do whatever it took as long he ended up married to the one man he loved most.

He looked out the window where he had a clear view the gardens and thought back to when he first met Arthur. He smiled at the memory, how arrogant he was and how much he had hated Arthur at first. He closed his eyes and replayed their first kiss and his fingers automatically reached up to his neck where he could almost feel Arthur removing his neckerchief. There were so many moments over the last two and a half years that had left Merlin breathlessly happy. There were also moments that were so painful, so stressful that he didn't think they would ever make it here. After they stopped Morgana and Camelot was officially safe, they still had to work through all the issues Merlin had caused. It took several months for Arthur to trust Merlin again and there were still moments when Merlin wasn't sure if he completely trusted him. A part of him worried that he would never have that trust again. It hadn't been easy to regain what he had managed to and he would spend the rest of his life proving to Arthur that he could be trusted.

His mind wandered to Mordred and he wondered where he was now. Morgana had been spotted in Brazil with Morgause. It was officially confirmed that Morgause had been in league with Morgana the day after 'the battle of Camlann' (as Merlin had taken to calling it) when she had pulled her stock from the company and stepped off the board. Mordred however, had not been seen or heard from since he left and Merlin couldn't keep himself from worrying about him. Gwaine had confessed to him that Mordred had been the one to turn over the evidence. He couldn't figure out why he did it though but a part of him suspected that it was because Mordred really had cared about Merlin. Despite everything, he still cared about the Druid. Perhaps not in the same way, but he understood Mordred in a way that no one else ever could and it was the same way about Merlin for Mordred.

Merlin was still standing at the window, lost in his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and spun around, letting out a loud gasp as he was met with those icy blue eyes.

"Mordred," He breathed and quickly looked around.

"I'm sorry for showing up like this," He said quickly and took a step back, automatically giving Merlin space.

"Where have you been? What the hell are you doing here?" He fired his questions at him and Mordred slipped his hands into the pockets of his suit.

"Well, I didn't get an invitation but I wanted to offer you my sincere congratulations." He said with a smirk, amusement dancing in his eyes and Merlin couldn't stop the eye roll that followed.

"Right so you just decided to show up out of the blue and come say congrats twenty minutes before I walk down the aisle?" He said skeptically and Mordred nodded.

"Mmhmm, you know that timing isn't something I excel at," he teased, "And I wanted to give you my wedding present," He said, his voice dropping in volume and he stepped closer.

"Mordred," Merlin warned, stepping back but Mordred held up his hands.

"I'm not here to try and get between you and Arthur, Emrys. I'm here to apologize for the part I played in Morgana's game. I'm sorry for everything I did to you, there's no excuse." He whispered sincerely, "I've never known anyone like you before Merlin. You know me better than I know myself it seems and there's something about you... something so... good that I just wanted to be close to it. I ended up hurting you though and I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Merlin sighed, "I forgive you. It was my fault as much as it was yours." Mordred's lips turned up in a sad, small smile and he reached up and gently brushed Merlin's bangs off his forehead.

"Here," he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a small package wrapped in black paper and a silver ribbon, "your wedding present."

Merlin raised an eyebrow and took the package without a word. He removed the ribbon and carefully ripped open the paper. He frowned as he looked at the blank brown leather cover and looked up at Mordred questioningly.

"I got another book of poetry published," he explained, "read the dedication." He nodded for Merlin to open it. He opened it hesitantly, unsure of what to expect as he flipped through the first pages until he came to the correct one.

"Dedicated to Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon; their love for each other is an inspiration and light of hope in an otherwise darkened world." He read, tears brimming his eyes and he looked up at Mordred. "You didn't have to do that..."

"I meant it. I want you to be happy Merlin." He said quietly, letting his hand come up to cup Merlin's cheek and brush a stray tear away with his thumb.

"I want you to be happy too," he sniffed and wiped his other cheek.

"I am," he reassured and leaned forward and pressed his lips to Merlin's. It wasn't a passionate kiss, or a kiss that quietly asked for more. It was simply a thank you, a kiss that said everything that neither man could say and only lasted a second. "Bye Emrys," Mordred whispered before walking away.

"Bye Mordred," he called after him rather weakly and then he was gone. He let out a shaking breath and sank onto the couch, desperately trying to compose himself. He closed his eyes and drew in several deep breaths. When he opened them again, he realized just how badly he had needed to see Mordred again, to say goodbye to him. Whatever feelings he'd had for him needed to see him one last time before Merlin could let them go and he was incredibly grateful that he'd shown up.

"You ready?" Will asked as he popped his head in. Merlin quickly set the book down and stood up.

"Yup," He smiled and wiped the last few tears away.

"You ok? Not changing your mind?" He asked teasingly.

"Shut up," Merlin scowled and Will grinned back at him.

"Time to walk the plank," he joked and held out his arm for Merlin to take it. Merlin rolled his eyes but took his offered arm and they walked down the corridor together. Just as they came to the set of double doors that would lead to the back gardens and aisle, Will stopped them.

"Before you do this Merlin, there's something I need to say," he said as he turned to Merlin, his green eyes filled with an intensity that told Merlin just how serious he was.

"Ok," he frowned.

"I know that I've been a bit of a prick about you and Arthur and it's taken me a long time to get on board with this. I'm sorry for any hurt that I caused you but you have to know that it was only because I wanted the very best for you. You deserve a man who is going to love you more than himself, more than anything else on this world. I let my own issues cloud my judgement of Arthur and that was a mistake. Anyone can see just how much he loves you, they would have to be blind not to and he's good for you. He challenges you and you make him a better person." He said, stumbling awkwardly as he tried to express himself and Merlin grinned.

"Thank you Will," he hugged him tightly, "thank you so much for saying that."

"I wasn't finished," He mumbled into Merlin's shoulder and Merlin laughed.

"What else did you want to say?"

"That you have my blessing," he said, glancing down at the floor, "even if it's nearly two years too late."

"Thanks," Merlin smiled and kissed his friend's cheek. "We should probably get going."

"Right yea," Will nodded and held out his arm again and Merlin linked his arm. They opened the door just as the band began to play _I've loved you before_ by Melissa Ethridge, the violins playing in perfect key with the piano. The aisle curved around the garden and the trees at the front blocked Merlin's view of the altar, his heart pounded in his chest. Just as they rounded the bend, the chorus began and Arthur came into Merlin's view and the moment he saw Arthur's lopsided grin, he broke into his own grin. Biting his lip to keep himself from laughing at the sudden happiness that was overwhelming him, the slowly walked forward. Arthur looked so incredible standing beneath the wisteria covered arbor. He was wearing the same tux as Merlin, except his vest was the same blue as Merlin's cravat and his cravat was white. The black jacket fit him perfectly, outlining his sculpted body and Merlin made himself memorize every detail. He was perfect.

Lance and Gwen stood to Arthur's left. All the groomsmen were wearing black tuxedos with matching blue bowties. Gwen was wearing a beautiful blue spring dress and Merlin was glad he had taken her advice to let her pick out her own dress. He would never have found one that would have looked as good. To Arthur's right, Gwaine, Percy and Leon stood, their hands clasped behind their backs and grins plastered on their faces. Freya stood just beside and behind Arthur, wearing a beautiful but simple black dress. She had gone online and been ordained as their minister for the wedding since neither of them were religious and didn't want a stranger performing the wedding. And since Freya had practically singlehandedly saved Camelot, they could think of no one else better for the job. Finally, Merlin's eyes found Arthur's again and they stayed there as Will gave Merlin away. Arthur held out his hand and Merlin gently clasped it, their fingers linking.

"Hi," Merlin said before he could stop himself and Arthur laughed.

"Hi," he smiled with a wink.

The ceremony was going by so fast; Merlin nearly missed his cue to start his vows. He looked into Arthur's eyes and for a moment, he completely forgot everything he wanted to say. It took a few seconds for him to find his voice and he cleared his throat as he began.

"Arthur, I desire you to be no other than yourself. I love all that I know of you and I completely trust who you will become. I promise I will respect and honor you always and in every way. I promise to guide you when you ask for direction, to serve you in every way I can," he winked at him with those words before continuing on, "I promise to challenge you to be a better person and to allow you to do the same for me. Most importantly though, I swear to you that I will always and forever be by your side, an ever present companion for you. My love for you will never wane, but will only continue to grow as we grow and change together. I love you," he whispered the last words as his throat was tightening too much to be able to speak anymore. It was ridiculous, he told himself, to be crying but he honestly couldn't think he could ever be any happier than in this moment. Arthur grinned and kissed his tears away, causing the audience to 'awe' and a few to whistle. They laughed and Lance handed Merlin Arthur's ring, "with this ring," he started as he held it to Arthur's ring finger, "I thee wed," he said, grinning at the ridiculously traditional last part of his vows and he slid the ring onto Arthur's finger. He grinned back and waited as Freya turned to Arthur.

"And your vows?" She prompted and Arthur let out a nervous sigh.

"Day by day, I know and love you more," he started, losing himself in Merlin's misty eyes, "I love you for not only who you are but what I am when I am with you. I learn from your wisdom and experience every day. You challenge me to new heights and your unwavering faith in me gives me strength. Your touch, delights me and I know that without you, I am simple incomplete. So this day, I bind myself to you with these wedding vows, willingly and wholeheartedly, free from any doubt or mental reservation. All that is mine is yours; with love I give you all of me. I will honor you, cherish you, rejoice in your success, and weep in your sorrows. My love for you is eternal, and will reach even beyond death. For now and for always, I am yours." He finished and slid Merlin's wedding band onto his finger. Merlin couldn't hold back the choked sob that escaped and before waiting for Freya to speak again, Arthur pulled him to him. He reached one hand to the back of his neck and the other to Merlin's waist and kissed him with every ounce of love he could possible put into one kiss. The world fell away and it was only the two of them as they sealed their vows, their tears slipping into their mouths and slowly, they pulled away, laughing with the sheer joy of the moment.

"Well, I guess that parts done," Freya joked, "I now pronounce you husband and husband!" She shouted happily and everyone cheered and loudly clapped but they heard none of it. They were still holding on to each other, kissing each other's cheeks and whispering I love you's into each other's ears when the band began to play A Thousand Years.


End file.
